In a horrifying escalation of communal violence in Plateau State, at least 12 innocent passengers were gruesomely murdered and 19 others severely injured when a commercial bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was ambushed by armed youths on Friday night.
The attack occurred around 9:47pm near Kyarang junction in Manjul community of Mangu Local Government Area. The 18-seater bus, carrying 31 passengers—including women, children, and elderly men—was en route from Basawa, Zaria in Kaduna State to Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau for a wedding ceremony.
According to survivors, the tragedy unfolded when the bus, having missed its route, stopped to ask for directions in what appeared to be a quiet village. Moments later, chaos erupted.
> “We were heading to Qua’an Pan to attend our brother’s wedding but lost our way,” survivor Ibrahim Umar recounted from his hospital bed. “We stopped to ask for directions. Suddenly, we were surrounded by a mob shouting that we should be killed. They attacked us with machetes, sticks, and stones. The driver was killed first. Then they set the bus ablaze with some of the bodies still inside.”
A senior security official who spoke on condition of anonymity described the scene as a “massacre.” He confirmed that several victims were killed instantly and that the attackers, believed to be irate youths from Mangun Village, burned the vehicle after the slaughter.
> “Seven died on the spot. One was left critically wounded. Others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The charred shell of the bus now stands as a grim monument to the madness of that night,” he said.
Miraculously, 14 passengers were rescued from the scene by local community leaders who reportedly intervened just in time, potentially averting an even bloodier outcome.
The Chairman of Mangu Local Government Council, Emmanuel Bala, described the incident as a tragic case of mistaken identity, linking the attack to recent security tensions in the area.
> “Due to recent attacks in the community, the people were on high alert. They had received intelligence about possible movements of bandits. Unfortunately, these travelers took the wrong road and were mistaken for threats,” Bala said.
He added that eight corpses were recovered immediately, with efforts ongoing to retrieve others. “This is a deeply unfortunate incident. These were innocent Hausa Muslim travelers, and it is heartbreaking that they were mistaken for attackers,” he lamented.
Religious and community leaders have also weighed in on the horror. The Chief Imam of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Suleiman Haruna, confirmed that eight bodies were already deposited at the Mangu General Hospital, and efforts were underway to recover the remaining four.
> “There were 31 people in that vehicle. We are coordinating with security operatives to ensure that all the deceased are properly accounted for,” the cleric said.
Meanwhile, attempts by journalists to reach the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, for an official comment proved unsuccessful. Multiple calls and a follow-up message sent on Saturday were ignored, leaving the public desperate for reassurance amid mounting fear and outrage.
The Plateau attack has added fuel to rising concerns about the spiraling insecurity in the Middle Belt region, where ethno-religious tensions, farmer-herder conflicts, and communal mistrust continue to claim innocent lives.
Human rights groups and national stakeholders are now calling for an immediate investigation and swift justice, warning that such acts of vengeance and mob violence could plunge the region further into anarchy if left unaddressed.
PIONEER NEWS 