Plateau: Bail for 20 Mangun massacre suspects raises fears of justice derailment – Daily Trust
Two months after the gruesome murder of 13 wedding guests in Mangun community, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, the 20 suspects charged with the killings have been granted bail.
The victims, men, women, and children, were travelling from Basawa in Sabon Gari LGA of Kaduna State to Qua’an Pan in Plateau for a wedding when they lost their way and landed in Mangun. What followed was a bloodbath.
The travellers, clearly identifiable by the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) branded bus they were in, were, according to government officials, “mistaken for bandits” by local youths. But survivors recounted that after stopping to ask for directions, the youths of Mangun encircled and lynched some of them, including the groom’s father and brother.
The attack sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria and beyond, especially since this was not an isolated incident. Plateau State has over time gained notoriety for highway blockades and lynching of innocent travellers, crimes that have gone on for decades without consequences.
At the time, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to work with other security and intelligence agencies to ensure that those responsible were held accountable. He vowed that the culprits would not go unpunished, insisting that freedom of movement for all citizens was non-negotiable. International and human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and civil society groups echoed similar calls, while Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, promised to personally pursue justice for the victims.
Shortly after, police in Plateau State arrested suspects and in suit No. PLD/115CR/2025 arraigned 20 of them on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, mischief with dangerous weapons, culpable homicide, and causing grievous harm. The charges alleged that the suspects killed and burnt 13 people, contrary to Sections 59, 220, 313, and 189 of the Plateau State Law 2017.
But the judicial process soon took a troubling turn. Appearing before Justice Boniface Ngyong in July, the suspects pleaded not guilty and defence counsel sought bail. Justice Ngyong advised that the application be filed before a vacation judge. On August 14, vacation judge, Nafisa Musa, considered a motion on notice filed by the defence counsel and granted bail to the suspects pending resumption of proceedings on October 13.
Her decision relied on a legal advice issued by the Director of Public Prosecution in the chambers of the Attorney-General of Plateau State, which absolved all the applicants of culpability in relation to the offences. The defence counsel urged the court to either discharge the suspects unconditionally or order their immediate release, insisting the advice was binding on all prosecuting authorities, including the Commissioner of Police who investigated and effected the arrests.
While many Nigerians questioned why a murder case of such magnitude would warrant bail, what is even more troubling is the legal advice from the Attorney-General that effectively undermines police investigations and survivor testimonies. Such advice from the very office meant to protect victims hints that justice may already be slipping through the cracks.
Clearly, the Mangun killings were not a case of mistaken identity as some have tried to portray. Bandits do not travel in university-branded buses but on motorbikes. No one would fault the people of Mangun for confronting real bandits who terrorise their communities, but transferring such aggression onto innocent travellers is unacceptable and those responsible must face the full wrath of the law.
Sadly, this is not new. In 2021, 22 travellers returning from Bauchi were killed while passing through Jos. In 2018, Major General Mohammed Idris Alkali was killed in Dura-Du, Jos South, and though his remains and car were recovered, justice has remained elusive, with suspects freed on bail.
This is a defining moment for Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to demonstrate political will by ensuring that those who killed innocent wedding guests in his state are prosecuted without bias. He has a moral obligation to send a clear message that barbarism will not be tolerated under his watch.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, must also honour his promise by standing firmly with the victims and pursuing justice, rather than lamenting Plateau State’s lack of updates on the judicial process.
The federal government, civil society organisations, and the media must now closely monitor the unfolding case. Justice must not be sacrificed at the altar of politics. If this culture of impunity is allowed to fester, Nigeria risks retaliatory violence that could spiral into a cycle of instability.
— Daily Trust Newspaper
