At least 30 travellers were killed and over 50 others missing when Irigwe ethnic militia ambushed five 18-seater buses along Rukuba road in Jos, Plateau State.
The travellers were returning from an Islamic new year event organized by famous Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi in Bauchi state.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 10am on Saturday.
Witnesses said more than 30 bodies were retrieved and prepared for burial, while the police are saying only 22 were killed.
“At about 0928hrs (08:28 GMT) the Plateau State Police Command received a distress call that a group of attackers suspected to be Irigwe youths (predominantly Christian)… attacked a convoy of five buses with Muslim faithful.”
“Twenty-two persons were killed and 14 injured in the attack,” police spokesperson Ubah Ogaba said in a statement, adding that 21 people had been rescued.
Sources said drivers of the buses ran into the ambush as the travellers ran into the bush when the attackers descended on them.
It was also learnt that over 50 people are still missing.
Plateau state governor Simon Lalong condemned the attack.
He said “security has been beefed up around the area,” according to a statement from his spokesperson, Makut Simon Macham.
21st Century Chronicle
