12 KILLED, OTHERS BURNT IN BUS — WEDDING TRIP TURNS INTO NIGHTMARE IN MANGU
Mistaken turn into terror zone leaves families devastated in Plateau State
Byline: By IDNN Security Desk
PLATEAU STATE — A journey meant for celebration ended in tragedy on Friday as 12 travellers from Zaria, Kaduna State, heading to a wedding in Qua’an Pan LGA, were ambushed and killed in Mangu, Plateau State. Their bus had lost its way and accidentally entered Mangun village, a hotbed of tension following ongoing terrorist raids.
According to survivors, the 18-seater bus carrying men, women, and children was stopped around 8:00 PM after locals claimed it was a threat. Within minutes, the vehicle was surrounded, its passengers beaten, and the bus set on fire with bodies inside.
“They shouted that we should be killed… The driver was murdered first,” said survivor Ibrahim Umar. “They burned the bus with people still in it.”
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed that 22 suspects have been arrested, and investigations are ongoing. The Mangu Police Division, backed by local security forces, rescued 21 passengers. Of those, 14 escaped unharmed, while 7 sustained injuries and are receiving treatment.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang described the killings as senseless and unacceptable. Visiting survivors at the General Hospital in Mangu, he promised that the perpetrators would face justice and warned against vigilante action.
“This is not the Plateau we are building,” he said. “It is heartbreaking that some of our youths, once praised for protecting their communities, now turn to mob violence.”
The governor has dispatched a high-level delegation to Kaduna State to offer condolences, as well as to the Emir of Zazzau, whose people were among the victims.
Kaduna Governor Uba Sani has also demanded accountability, calling the killings “acts of savagery.”
“This madness must stop. There’s no excuse for attacking fellow citizens,” Sani said. “I will personally track the investigation to ensure justice.”