At least 12 persons were brutally killed and several others injured when suspected hoodlums ambushed a group of travellers in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State over the weekend.
The victims, including women and children, were said to be travelling from Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State in an 18-seater bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. The tragic incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Friday night.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the travellers were en route to Qua’an Pan LGA in southern Plateau State to attend a wedding ceremony when they were attacked by the assailants, who opened fire on the vehicle without warning. Witnesses said the attackers emerged from nearby bushes and began shooting indiscriminately, leading to the immediate deaths of several occupants of the bus.
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Security sources in the area confirmed the attack, stating that 12 bodies were recovered from the scene while other injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital in Mangu for emergency treatment.
The Plateau State Police Command and military personnel attached to Operation Safe Haven have reportedly launched a manhunt for the perpetrators. Meanwhile, authorities have increased patrols along major highways in the state to prevent further attacks and restore confidence among road users.
This incident adds to the rising wave of violence in Plateau State, which has witnessed a series of communal clashes and targeted attacks on travellers in recent months. Community leaders and civil society groups have called on the federal and state governments to intensify efforts to secure lives and property across the region.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Plateau State Government nor the management of Ahmadu Bello University had issued an official statement on the incident.
