Please don’t let Jos burn again

The news from Nassarawa Gwom  cuts deep. Just as we thought the curfew offered a shield, however its, relaxation appears to have opened a door—and some innocent people have already paid the price. The tension now crawling through Jos metropolis is a warning: we are closer to the edge than we want to admit. We […]

The news from Nassarawa Gwom  cuts deep.

Just as we thought the curfew offered a shield, however its, relaxation appears to have opened a door—and some innocent people have already paid the price.

The tension now crawling through Jos metropolis is a warning: we are closer to the edge than we want to admit.

We cannot afford to stumble into a point of no return.

 The cycle of attack and reprisal has claimed too many lives.

 What is required now is not blame, but desperate, practical action rooted in our common and shared humanity.

Yet, government must act with both firmness and wisdom.

First, review the curfew decision immediately. If security assessments indicate heightened risk, restore restrictions temporarily while surging patrols into flashpoints like Nassarawa Gwom and surrounding communities.

Second, establish a visible, round-the-clock security presence in identified volatile areas—not just armored vehicles, but foot patrols that build trust and confidence.

Third, activate a dedicated hotline for residents to report threats, with swift response protocols.

Community, religious, and traditional leaders must lead from the front.

This is not the time for silence.

 Every leader must step forward—jointly—to condemn the killings and call for restraint.

 Organise immediate cross-community meetings in each ward, not in government halls, but in the neighborhoods where fear lives.

 Use Friday sermons, Sunday services, and traditional gatherings to deliver one unified message: we will not let revenge define us.

 Establish community watch teams that include youth from all sides, building trust through shared responsibility.

Civil society must pivot to emergency mediation. It is strategic to deploy trusted peace actors into the most volatile communities to listen, de-escalate, and report early warning signs. In addition, provide trauma counseling to families who have lost loved ones—unaddressed grief easily turns into rage. And we all must be determined to hold security agencies accountable by tracking security response times and making findings public.

None of this is new.

However, what is new is the urgency.

Every hour we delay, fear breeds more fear. Let us all come to terms with the fact that the window to prevent full-blown escalation is closing.

We have lived together in Jos before and we can continue to do so only if we choose—right now—to see the humanity in one another, even through the tears and pains.

Please let us act before we lose that choice forever.

 

Joseph Lengmang PhD, Pioneer and former Director General, Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency