By Our Correspondent
Fear and outrage gripped Plateau State on Saturday night as gunmen suspected to be local militias abducted 12 Muslim worshippers travelling to attend Maulud prayers in Gaji village, Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area.
The chilling incident reportedly occurred at about 10:30 p.m. along the Bunyun axis of Wase LGA, when the victims’ vehicle was ambushed by heavily armed men who forcefully intercepted the travellers and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the abducted worshippers were peacefully heading to Gaji village to participate in the religious gathering when terror struck, turning what should have been a night of devotion into a harrowing ordeal.
A resident of Zak village, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, December 22, said security operatives later stormed the area following distress alerts, as efforts intensified to trace the abducted victims and unravel the identities of the attackers.
“The security agencies visited the scene shortly after the incident. The entire community is in fear, and people are worried about the safety of the abducted worshippers,” the resident said.
The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the abduction, assuring residents that investigations are ongoing and that all necessary measures are being deployed to secure the safe rescue of the victims.
“Upon receipt of the report, a team of police operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bashar immediately visited the scene. Efforts have been intensified to rescue the abducted persons and apprehend the perpetrators,” a police source disclosed.
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, who brought public attention to the incident on Tuesday, warned that the abduction has reopened deep national wounds, reviving painful memories of previous deadly attacks on travellers in Plateau State.
Makama recalled the June 2025 massacre in Mangu Local Government Area, where at least 12 travellers from Basawa in Zaria LGA of Kaduna State were brutally lynched by a mob. In that tragic episode, an 18-seater bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, conveying 31 passengers to a wedding ceremony, was attacked around 8:00 p.m., leaving 12 people dead instantly and 11 others injured.
Despite widespread condemnation and calls for justice, the case has largely faded from public discourse, with reports suggesting that some of the alleged perpetrators were later granted bail, further fuelling public anger and distrust.
Similarly, in August 2021, no fewer than 22 travellers returning from the Islamic New Year commemoration in Bauchi State were killed in Jos North Local Government Area, underscoring a disturbing and recurring pattern of violence against travellers and religious pilgrims in Plateau State.
As families anxiously await news of their loved ones, the latest abduction has once again raised urgent questions about road safety, religious tolerance, and the effectiveness of security measures in the region—while Nigerians watch and hope that this tragic story does not end in yet another blood-soaked chapter.
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