By Abubakar Yunusa
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has condemned in the strongest terms the brutal massacre of innocent Nigerian travellers in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, calling the atrocity a chilling reflection of the country’s deepening security crisis and failure of leadership.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by NEF’s spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the group said it was “shaken to its core” by the premeditated slaughter of 18 citizens, including women and children, who were ambushed, hacked to death, and set ablaze while en route to a wedding in Quan-Pan, Plateau State.
Jiddere said: “This premeditated atrocity is not only a crime against humanity but a stark indictment of a nation losing its grip on the most basic duty of governance, the protection of human life.”
According to credible reports, the victims, ordinary citizens, including women and children hailed from Basawa, Sabon Gari Local Government Area in Kaduna State were on their way to a wedding in Quan-Pan, Plateau State, aboard a clearly marked official vehicle of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. After losing their way, they sought help in Mangu, only to be met with savagery.
Jiddere added, “They were ambushed, hacked down, and burned alive in what can only be described as a merciless, calculated act of terror. Of the eighteen aboard, only two survived, rescued by the courage of a single local resident.
“Let us be clear: this was not a case of mistaken identity. It was not random. It was an act of evil. In any functioning society, a marked official vehicle carrying unarmed civilians, particularly women and children, would be seen as sacrosanct. That such a group could be slaughtered in cold blood speaks volumes about the depths of hate, lawlessness, and moral decay festering in parts of our nation.
“This tragedy is part of a much darker narrative, one where the Northern region of Nigeria is bleeding daily from unchecked violence. In the North West, villages are emptied and lives stolen through mass abductions and killings.
“In the North East, terror persists. In the North Central, random killings and kidnappings have become routine. What was once sporadic unrest has mutated into systemic terror, thriving under the shadow of impunity and governmental inertia.
“The Northern Elders Forum categorically rejects silence, tokenism, or bureaucratic lip service. This is not the time for vague promises. It is the time for uncompromising, sustained action.”
