WATCH: 10 Christian, Muslim Women Form Vigilante Group, Patrol Jos Streets at Night to Combat Rising Insecurity

• Ten Christian and Muslim women in Jos have formed an all-female vigilante group, patrolling their neighbourhood at night with whips and flashlights as worsening insecurity pushes residents to take their safety into their own hands.

Ten women in Jos, Plateau State, have taken the security of their community into their own hands by forming an all-female vigilante group that patrols the streets at night.

Armed with whips, flashlights and identification cards, the group conducts nightly patrols in a bid to deter criminal activity and reassure residents amid growing insecurity.

What makes the initiative particularly remarkable is its membership. The vigilante group is made up of both Christian and Muslim women, a powerful symbol of unity in a city that has experienced years of religious and communal violence.

According to the women, the worsening security situation and repeated attacks on nearby communities compelled them to act rather than wait for outside intervention.

The group’s leader, Blessing Ngozi, said women often bear the greatest burden of violent attacks.

“We women are the ones who are affected in anything bad that happens. We are affected because our husbands are killed and our children are killed. At the end of the day, we become childless and widows,” she said.

Their decision comes against the backdrop of escalating violence across Plateau State.

According to BBC Africa, about 60 per cent of all violence against civilians recorded in Nigeria in April 2026 occurred in Plateau State, highlighting the scale of the security crisis in the region.

Figures from Amnesty International also show that at least 2,630 people have been killed in Plateau State since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, making it the second-most affected state in the country after Benue.

The rights organisation further reported that more than 167 rural communities have been attacked, forcing an estimated 65,000 people to flee their homes.

Between late March and early April this year, coordinated attacks on five communities in Bokkos Local Government Area reportedly claimed more than 100 lives within a week, underscoring the persistent threat facing residents.

Against this backdrop, the women say they could no longer afford to remain passive.

Rather than carrying firearms, the group relies on visible community patrols, using whips as a deterrent while their flashlights and identification cards help establish their legitimacy during night patrols.

Beyond security, the initiative has attracted attention as a symbol of unity, bringing together women from communities that have often been divided by religious tensions to work toward a common goal of protecting their neighbourhood.

As of the time of this report, no government agency has publicly acknowledged or formally supported the all-female vigilante group.

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