We, the undersigned organizations, mourn the tragic loss of life following two attacks carried out around Palm Sunday that killed dozens of innocent civilians and left many others injured, or abducted.
April 1, 2026
Late on Saturday night, March 28, 2026, armed attackers assaulted a wedding ceremony in Kahir Village, Kagarko Local Government Area (LGA), in Kaduna State, an area bordering the Federal Capital Territory. The attackers killed at least 12 people, injured others, kidnapped approximately 25 people, and looted the surrounding community.
A community funeral service held on Palm Sunday for victims of the March 28, 2026 attack at Kahir, Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State. Photo credit: CHAIN
On Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026 in the evening, gunmen attacked a community market square in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North LGA, Plateau State. The attackers killed at least 27 people and injured many others in this part of the city of Jos.
These despicable acts of violence build on a repeated history of violence during the Christian Holy Week leading up to Easter celebrations.
On Easter Sunday, 8 April 2012, a suicide car bomb targeting church services in Kaduna killed at least 38 people. During the 2014–2015 Boko Haram insurgency peak in Borno and Yobe States, repeated Easter-season threats and attacks forced churches to scale down Easter gatherings. Similarly, in 2019, rural communities in Bassa and Barkin Ladi areas of Plateau State experienced killings during the Easter period. Most recently in 2025, the Zike Massacre in Kwall District, Bassa LGA in Plateau State on Palm Sunday, left over 50 Christians dead. Taken together, these incidents demonstrate that Easter creates predictable opportunities for attacks on large Christian gatherings. Without urgent government intervention, these recurring vulnerabilities point to a high risk of further deadly attacks during the 2026 Easter period.
The Nigerian authorities rightly condemned this recent wave of violence. But words are not enough. Authorities must ensure that all perpetrators are swiftly identified and held accountable.
We call on Nigerian authorities to deploy security personnel to protect worshipers and Christian communities during this 2026 Easter season. Security measures must be more effectively implemented and strengthened to prioritize prevention, not only reactive response after attacks have occurred.
Let there be no further bloodshed. For our Lord and Father hates those who shed innocent blood, who devise wicked schemes, who rush into evil, and who stir up conflict in the community (Proverbs 6).
Signatures:
African Center for Religious Freedom and Peacebuilding
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria
Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Nigeria Evangelical Fellowship
Shao, Kwara State, Nigeria
Para-Mallam Peace Foundation
Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
Theo-Sight Institute for Research and Advocacy
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
21Wilberforce
Falls Church, Virginia, United States