At approximately 9:47 pm, a mob in the Mangun district of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, attacked a bus carrying travellers to a wedding ceremony in Qua'an Pan area of Plateau State. The bus, belonging to the Department of Physics at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was driven by Bashar Abubakar, a 52-year-old employee of the university. The passengers, including children, had lost their way and stopped to ask for directions when the mob descended on them. Twelve people were killed in the ensuing violence, including the driver. The mob first killed the driver, then turned on the other passengers. Twenty others were rescued, many with injuries, according to the Plateau State Police Command. The bus was also set ablaze. The groom, Rabi'a Sani, lost his father, two younger brothers, an uncle, and other loved ones in the incident.
20 Jun 2025 · Basawa, Mangu, Plateau
Deaths
12
Injured
0
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
12
Perpetrators
Mob
Response
President Bola Tinubu condemned the "senseless violence" and emphasized that freedom of movement is a non-negotiable fundamental right.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Ethno-religious tensions, profiling based on identity, weak communal trust, inadequate security presence
Trajectory
Incident reflects Plateau’s recurring cycle of ethno-religious violence, where identity becomes a trigger for mob action
Cycle notes
Parallels Konduga suicide bombings between 2014 and 2019, demonstrating the resilience of insurgent tactics despite sustained military pressure. It also mirrored the 2021 massacre of 26 travellers in Jos North LGA who were returning from an Islamic gathering in Bauchi State.
Pattern
Ethno-religious profiling and mob violence in Plateau
Sources
- https://humanglemedia.com/plateau-mob-action-when-identity-becomes-a-death-sentence-in-nigeria/
- https://dailytrust.com/how-mob-killed-12-travellers-in-plateau-over-religious-ethnic-identity/
- https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/797413-plateau-governor-visits-survivors-of-mob-attack-that-killed-12-travellers.html
Related — Communal Violence
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