“THEY KILLED THE DRIVER FIRST, THEN SET THE BUS ON FIRE” — SURVIVOR TELLS HOW MANGU MOB ATTACKED WEDDING GUESTS
Victims were surrounded while asking for directions, says Ibrahim Umar
Byline: By IDNN Security Desk
MANGU, PLATEAU — A chilling account has emerged from Ibrahim Umar, one of the survivors of the Plateau wedding bus massacre, who described how their 18-seater vehicle was ambushed and burned with people inside, after stopping to ask for directions.
The passengers — men, women, and children — had left Basawa, Zaria LGA en route to a wedding in Qua’an Pan, Plateau State. Their journey ended in terror on Friday evening in Manjul community, Mangu LGA.
“We got lost and stopped to ask for help,” ……. “But suddenly, a crowd surrounded us, screaming that we should be killed.”
He said the mob first killed the driver, then attacked the others with stones and machetes before setting the bus ablaze with corpses inside.
“We’re now in hospital. Some of us escaped, others didn’t make it,” he added, barely holding back tears.
According to local officials, the bus was mistaken for a security threat due to recent attacks on Manjul community, and the youths were already on alert.
Security sources said seven were killed instantly, and six others suffered critical injuries. The charred remains of the vehicle are now symbolic of the violence tearing through parts of central Nigeria.
The Mangu LGA Chairman, Emmanuel Bala, called the killings a tragic misjudgment, confirming that the victims were Hausa Muslims heading for a celebration.
“They were innocent. The attack was triggered by fear, not facts,” he said.
Local clerics and hospitals are working with families to recover the remaining bodies, while police continue their manhunt for all those responsible.
