Sawt Falasteen - Empty streets, markets in central Nigeria's Jos after major shooting

Plateau state often suffers from rural violence, partly linked to farmer-herder conflicts. But Sunday evening's shooting in the state capital marked a rare and unsettling urban attack.

The city itself, home to Muslims and Christians who live side-by-side, often in mixed families, has seen deadly violence across religious lines in the past -- prompting faith groups to call for calm after the attack by unknown gunmen killed at least 30 people.

The massacre occurred in Anguwan Rukuba, a neighbourhood popular with local university students and staff, and on Tuesday there was a heavy presence of military, police, civil defence and local volunteer vigilantes, an AFP reporter saw.

"We are calm, there is not much tension, even though we are still in pain," resident Samuel James told AFP.

However, with most people confined indoors for 48 hours Monday and Tuesday, many are shut out from getting food or earning money, he said.

The curfew is set to be lifted Wednesday.

Jos saw deadly riots across religious lines in 2001 and 2008. Malik Samuel, an Abuja-based conflict researcher for Good Governance Africa, told AFP that the curfew might help stop reprisals.

Resident Jamilu Hassan agreed, saying that the curfew helped de-escalate tensions.

Still, he said, "people cannot come out to do their legitimate business and it is very unfortunate."

The government, he said, "should look at a lasting solution to this problem so that people can move about doing their legitimate work".

- Unknown motive -

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday called the attack "cowardly and barbaric", and directed security agencies "to intensify all efforts to pursue the perpetrators and those spreading misinformation that can inflame tensions and further endanger lives".

Plateau state sits in Nigeria's central Middle Belt, which has seen violence from farmers and herders over land access.

But the killings often fall across religious and ethnic lines, which adds to years of sectarian tension in the state -- where ethnicity, religion and who is considered "indigenous" can be politically explosive topics.

Mathew Moses, another Jos resident, said Sunday's attack was a major setback to the relative peace the city has enjoyed in recent years.

"Gradually people have been building trust, businesses fully gaining ground, peace achieving its place -- but unfortunately evil people have again caused us setbacks."

Not far off, northeast Nigeria is the epicentre of a years-long jihadist insurgency, while much of the centre and northwest suffer from criminal gangs.

Authorities have not said who was responsible for the shooting at the bar. But state governor Caleb Mutfwang vowed "swift and decisive actions" to "restore calm" in a statement on Tuesday.

Posts on social media blamed, without evidence, Fulani Muslims or "bandits" -- as organised rural criminal gangs are known -- for attacking Christians on the Palm Sunday holiday.

In a state radio broadcast Tuesday, Mutfwang morning assured that the curfew "will be reviewed periodically, to allow citizens to return to normal life".

Burials for the victims have not yet been scheduled.

S.Barghouti--SF-PST