12 killed as mob sets wedding-bound bus ablaze in Plateau

No fewer than 12 travellers from Basawa community in Zaria, Kaduna State, were killed in a brutal attack in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on Friday night.

Eleven others sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

The victims, including men, women, and children—31 in total—were travelling in an 18-seater bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, when they came under attack around 8:00 p.m.

Reports indicate that the group was en route to Qua’an Pan LGA to attend a wedding ceremony when they reportedly lost their way and ran into a violent mob.

Confirming the incident, the Chief Imam of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’ikamatis Sunnah, Sheikh Suleiman Haruna, said eight bodies had been recovered and deposited at the Mangu General Hospital, while efforts were underway to retrieve the remaining four corpses.

“There were 31 travellers in the bus. Now we have eight corpses in the hospital. We have appealed to security personnel to help recover the remaining four. The chairman of Mangu LGA is actively involved in coordinating the response,” Sheikh Haruna said.

A survivor, Ibrahim Umar, recounted the terrifying ordeal:
“We were heading to Qua’an Pan for a wedding when we missed the road. We stopped to ask for directions, but suddenly a mob surrounded our bus, shouting that we should be killed. They attacked us with sticks and machetes. The driver was killed first, and then they descended on the rest of us. They even set the bus on fire with some bodies inside.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Altau, confirmed awareness of the incident and said an official statement would be issued in due course.

The tragic attack adds to the growing concerns over insecurity and mob violence in parts of the country.