By Abubakar Yunusa
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has expressed deep grief and outrage over the gruesome killing of innocent travellers in Plateau State, describing the June 20 attack as a barbaric, cold-blooded assault that underscores the persistent threat to peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
According to the group, 31 individuals, including women and children, were travelling from Zaria to Kwa in Quan Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State to attend a wedding when they were ambushed by armed assailants.
In a statement signed by Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, National Coordinator of the CNG, the coalition disclosed that eight victims, including a 10-year-old child, were killed and burned inside the bus, which was reportedly owned by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
He said: “Eighteen others are currently receiving treatment for life-threatening injuries at Mangu General Hospital. Four remain missing, unaccounted for, leaving their families in anguish and uncertainty.
“According to eyewitness accounts and available reports, the only “crime” these victims committed was being Hausa and Muslim. This targeted attack is not an isolated case, but a continuation of a deeply troubling trend of ethnically and religiously motivated violence in Plateau State spanning nearly two decades.
“We painfully recall: The burning alive of Ningi travellers during the Dariye administration. The still unresolved murder of General Idris Alkali, under the Jang administration. The killing of Muslim pilgrims from Ondo State returning from Bauchi during the Lalong administration.”
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