One of the wedding travellers, Abas Rufa’i, who survived the mob attack on Friday in the Mangun community of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, has recounted how he miraculously escaped through the mob to alert soldiers who later rescued other victims.
Rufa’i shared his experience with Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State during the governor’s visit to the injured victims at the 44 Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna.
Rufa’i was among 31 wedding guests attacked while travelling in an 18-seater bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
The group, consisting of men, women, and children from the Basawa-Anguwan Rimi community in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was en route to Qua’an Pan LGA for a wedding ceremony when they were attacked.
Describing his escape as miraculous, the survivor said he was the first to disembark from the bus to ask for directions after the driver had parked by the roadside.
As he approached some people sitting nearby, he noticed hostility in their expressions, which signalled he was not welcome. Sensing danger from their body language, he decided not to speak to them.
“When I turned back, I heard them say, ‘We should kill them all and burn the vehicle.’ Before we knew it, some of them began hitting the bus, prompting the driver to attempt a U-turn. But they had already barricaded the road with heavy stones and logs.
“Miraculously, I moved back slightly. I was wearing loose clothes with short trousers, so I quickly removed the gown without attracting attention. Gradually, I slipped away from the bus, which they had already set ablaze with the travellers still inside,” Rufa’i said.
He said while the bus was burning, “I saw an okada rider and asked him to take me to a police station. Since he didn’t know me, I told him I had a personal issue that needed police attention.”
He said while they were riding, he spotted soldiers at a checkpoint and asked the rider to stop. “Before I could even pay the rider, he made a U-turn and returned to the community. I quickly approached the soldiers and informed them about the attack on my relatives in the village.”
The soldiers immediately mobilised and followed him to the scene, where they found the bus in flames. They managed to rescue about 18 people with various injuries, while others had already been killed.
Our constitution guarantees freedom of movement – Uba Sani
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has advised his colleagues in other states to ensure freedom of movement of all citizens of Nigeria as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
He reiterated that one of the most important responsibilities of any government is the protection of lives and property of its citizens, irrespective of who they are and where they come from.
The governor spoke at Kudan Local Government Area, where he went to commiserate with families of the travellers who were murdered on their way to a wedding in Plateau.
Leading a high-powered delegation comprising senior government officials, the governor commended the people of Kudan for not taking laws into their hands to avenge the killing of their kith and kin.
The governor said he went to 44 Military Hospital, Kaduna, on Monday to visit those who survived the attack but were injured “and here I am in their very community to commiserate with them and also thank them for being peaceful.”
We’ll compensate victims – Plateau gov’t
The Plateau State Government has announced plans to compensate victims of last Friday’s mob attack on wedding travellers in the state.
