22 Travelers Killed, 6 Suspects Arrested In North-central Nigeria

Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the killing of at least 22 travelers returning from a religious event organised by an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, killed on their  way back home along Rukuba road in the Jos Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Sat. Aug.14. 

Gabriel Ogaba, police spokesperson in Plateau State who confirmed the incident, said 14 others were injured as the police rescued 21 victims from the attack. 

“On 14th August, 2021 at about 09:28 hours, the Plateau State Police Command received a distress call that a group of attackers suspected to be Irigwe youths and their sympathisers along Rukuba Road of Jos North LGA attacked a convoy of five buses with Muslim faithful who were coming back from the Annual Zikr prayer in Bauchi State and heading to Ikare in Ondo State,” Ogaba said.

“Unfortunately, 22 persons were killed and Fourteen injured in the attack.”

According to him, “Upon receipt of the report, a team of police personnel, the military and other sister agencies were immediately mobilised to the scene where 21 victims were rescued and six suspects arrested”.

“The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Edward Egbuka, along with the GOC 3-Division, Major General Ibrahim Ali, also visited the scene and ordered for a discreet investigation to fish out other perpetrators of this barbaric act at large,” he explained.

He, however, said, normalcy has returned to the area.

“The CP warned that those that perpetrated this dastardly act and others that incited it, will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

Muhammad Ibrahim, one of the travelers who escaped the attack, said they were in a group of five 18-seater-buses when they were attacked. 

“We ran into the armed gang at Gada-Biyu area of Jos North Local Government Area,” he said.

A Daily Trust journalist who visited the hospital saw some of the victims being treated while others were being referred to Jos University Teaching Hospital. 

The hospital was also visited by the State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ebuka, and the General Officer Commanding 3rd Armoured Division, Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Atu.

Plateau is one of the states in the North-central region suffering from incessant cases of communal violence over grazing lands and water resources. 

More than 7,000 have been killed in the state since late 2001 when the first major riot broke out in Jos.