- by Deborah Longe
- March 30, 2026
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The following is a transcription of On the Lord’s Side Podcast presented on GospelBellsRadio on March 30, 2026 by Olufemi Oguntokun. It may not fully match with the audio, but represents a near perfect transcription of the broadcast.
On the Palm Sunday Massacre in Plateau State
It’s Monday, the 30th of March 2026. The programme is On the Lord’s Side, Christian perspectives on news and current events.
My name is Olufemi Oguntokun. You can follow me on Twitter at Olufemi OG. You can follow Gospel Bells Radio on Twitter at Gospel Bells Radio.
Palm Sunday massacre in Plateau, that’s the news that confronted many of us, many Christians in Nigeria, yesterday, just as we all, by the grace of God, celebrated Palm Sunday, the commemoration of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the beginning of the Holy Week, the beginning of His week of passion, and one of the most solemn memorials in the Christian Church.
And of course, this news is yet another startling reminder to us that we are still confronting this barbaric, heartbreaking scourge in our land.
According to one of the Christian handles on Twitter in Nigeria, it says:
“Happening now: Palm Sunday massacre in Plateau. Fulani militants on motorbikes slaughtered many Christians tonight outside Jos before fleeing into the mountains. This cannot keep going on.”
Somebody responding to this wrote, saying, “This is Jos, not outside. They have left attacking villages; now they are hitting the cities.”
I recall recently, I had a working relationship, or I still have with a lawyer in Jos. The first time we spoke on the phone, I told him that on a particular date I would not be able to travel to Jos for a matter at the Federal High Court because of insecurity concerns, and I wanted him to represent me in court on that day.
He said, well, that’s okay, but it’s not as bad as we in the South suppose. He said those attacks usually take place in the outskirts, in the villages. But now this is what we are witnessing, attacks are now taking place closer to the city of Jos itself.
That is sad, but not surprising. The reality is, once you leave things like this unchecked, they will fester and expand. That is the nature of things.
The pictures are really gory. I do not know if you have seen them, really disturbing.
And we must repeat it: this cannot keep going on. It is unacceptable.
It is also something that should boggle our minds that we do not have the kind of response from the government that one would expect. This is a national emergency. Human lives were taken. This is totally unacceptable.
I wanted to play a video clip made by a Christian missionary, now a popular face on social media. This young man is American. He has been in the North, encouraging Christians and helping them rebuild their lives.
He made a video yesterday, and it has gone viral:
“You just murdered over 10 people, innocent Christians, on Palm Sunday. Tinubu, where are you? As your people are slaughtered in the night, as you sit in Aso Rock and do absolutely nothing… When will it stop? You can no longer deny genocide…”
This is really sad. And while it may be uncharitable to say the government is doing nothing, it is clear that it has not been doing enough. If this is its best, then its best is not good enough.
On President Tinubu’s Donation to Wounded Soldiers
This brings me to another story. The president is said to be celebrating his 74th birthday. Many newspapers reported: Tinubu Donates Salary to Wounded Soldiers.
According to reports, President Bola Tinubu announced the donation of all his salaries since assuming office on May 29, 2023, to establish a welfare fund for wounded soldiers and families of fallen military personnel.
His monthly salary stands at about 1.1 million naira, translating to about 14 million annually. With allowances, the total may be around 30 million yearly.
The president described this as a “solemn national obligation.”
And indeed, it is. But that obligation is not only to those who have fallen — it is also to those who are still alive.
It is a sad commentary that we speak of people as those “who have not yet been killed.” That is the language of places where there is a breakdown of law and order.
While the gesture may be commendable, many Nigerians find it difficult to appreciate it fully due to concerns about transparency and government spending.
We want a situation where soldiers do not have to die in the first place. We want decisive action against terrorism.
The best way to show concern is not just through donations, but through effective protection of lives.
On Protecting the Innocent Over the Guilty
We do not want to hear members of government rationalising these crimes.
Yes, we can pray for repentance. Yes, we can talk about rehabilitation. But the first responsibility is to protect the innocent.
When your first instinct is to protect criminals instead of victims, something is wrong.
There are innocent people being killed, and there are terrorists committing heinous crimes. Your first duty is to defend the innocent.
Any failure to do that puts more lives at risk.
On Attacks During Christian Holy Days
There must be something about the timing of these attacks.
We recall the attack on a Catholic church in Owo during worship. Now, Palm Sunday 2026 has also been marked by bloodshed.
I pray that the Lord will comfort those who have lost loved ones. I pray that He will bring an end to this scourge in our country.
I pray that God will raise leaders with the courage, conviction, and compassion to act decisively against this evil.
This cannot continue.
I want to thank you for joining us this morning on On the Lord’s Side, Christian perspectives on news and current events.
I hope to be with you again tomorrow, by God’s grace.
Whatever you do today, please remain firmly on the Lord’s side.
God bless you.