Plateau killing:Arrest and prosecute killers immediately–Amnesty international

“The Nigerian authorities must go beyond merely condemning the incident and ensure that such incident never happen again. Targeting commuters while traveling through a community is a crime that cannot be justified – and shows utter disdain for the right to life and due process of law.

This was the firm position of Amnesty International to the slaughtering of 12 travellers in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Friday by unknown gunmen, an incident that has added to the long list of bloody attacks in the state in recent months.

The attack occurred Friday night when an 18-seater bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, conveying 31 people from Basawa in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State to a wedding ceremony in Qua’an Pan LGA of Plateau State, was ambushed, around 8 p.m. in Mangu, another troubled enclave in the same state.

Bemoaning the development, in which 11 others reportedly sustained injuries and required immediate medical attention, the AI said in a statement on Saturday via its official X account, that the government needed to act swiftly in fishing out the perpetrators in addition to showing sympathy.

“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and effectively investigate the killing of at least 12 travelers from Basawa in Zaria LGA of Kaduna state by a mob in Mangu local government area of Plateau state. Authorities must ensure that the actual persons behind the horrific attack are brought to justice,” the statement read.

The rights group also recalled a similar massacre in August 2021, when 22 commuters were killed along Rukuba Road in Jos North after returning from an Islamic New Year event in Bauchi State. The organisation warned that the failure to hold perpetrators accountable continues to embolden violent actors across the country.