Saturday June 21, 2025|
Tragedy struck in Plateau State on Friday, June 20, evening when armed youths ambushed a commercial bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, killing at least 12 passengers and injuring 19 others.
According to Parallel Fact, the attack occurred near Kyarang Junction in the Manjul community of Mangu Local Government Area. The bus was carrying 31 passengers en route to Qua’an Pan LGA to attend a wedding ceremony.
The victims—men, women, and children—had departed from Basawa in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State in an 18-seater bus when they were ambushed around 8:00 p.m.
According to survivors, the bus had missed its route and stopped to ask for directions when they were suddenly surrounded and attacked by a violent mob.
“We were heading to Qua’an Pan to attend a wedding ceremony of our brother when we missed the road because we didn’t know it,” one survivor, Ibrahim Umar, said.
“We stopped and asked some people for directions, but before we knew it, they surrounded the vehicle, shouting that we should be killed. They started beating and attacking us with dangerous weapons. The mob killed the driver first and then attacked others. They burned the bus with the corpses inside. We are now in the hospital, receiving care.”
A security source confirmed the horrific attack, revealing that several passengers were brutally killed on the spot by suspected youths from Mangun Village in Mangu Local Government Area.
According to the source, the ambush occurred at about 9:47 p.m. The attackers intercepted the vehicle on the outskirts of the town, assaulted the passengers, and then set the bus on fire.
“Seven of the passengers were killed on the spot, their lives extinguished in a flash. One other traveller was left in critical condition, while six more suffered various degrees of injuries,” he said.
“The charred remains of the bus now stand as a grim symbol of senseless destruction.”
However, 14 other passengers were rescued by local leaders who intervened in time, likely preventing a wider massacre.
The Mangu Local Government Council Chairman, Emmanuel Bala, confirmed the incident and said the attack was “mistakenly carried out.”
“Due to the earlier incident where people were attacked, members of the Manjul community had received report that bandits might strike again. The youths were therefore on the alert. Unfortunately, some travellers heading to Qua’an Pan mistakenly took the road to Mangu and were attacked by a mob,” Bala said.
He added that eight people were confirmed dead at the scene, while both the deceased and the injured were taken to the General Hospital in Mangu. “It is unfortunate that innocent people—Hausa Muslims—were attacked and killed,” Bala lamented.
The Chief Imam of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Suleiman Haruna, also confirmed the killings, telling Daily Trust that the bodies had been deposited at the Mangu General Hospital.
“There were 31 travelers in the bus. As of now, eight corpses are at the hospital. We’ve asked security personnel to help recover the remaining four bodies,” he said.
Efforts to get a response from the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful. He declined multiple calls made to him on Saturday and has yet to respond to a follow-up text message.
