The Northern Elders Forum on Tuesday said the country is bleeding from the North, calling on the government to act now before it is too late.
It also condemned in the strongest terms what it described as “the brutal massacre of innocent Nigerian travellers in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State,” calling the atrocity a chilling reflection of the country’s deepening security crisis and failure of leadership.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by NEF’s spokesperson, Prof Abubakar Jiddere, the group said it was “shaken to its core” by the premeditated slaughter of 18 citizens, including women and children, who were ambushed, hacked to death, and set ablaze while en route to a wedding in Quan-Pan, Plateau State.
“This country is bleeding, and it is bleeding from the North.
“The obligation to protect life and restore order is not a favour the government grants, it is a constitutional imperative. Failure to act now is not just negligence. It is complicated,” the statement noted.
Jiddere said: “This premeditated atrocity is not only a crime against humanity but a stark indictment of a nation losing its grip on the most basic duty of governance, the protection of human life.”
According to credible reports, the victims, including women and children, hailed from Basawa, Sabon Gari Local Government Area in Kaduna State and were on their way to a wedding in Quan-Pan, Plateau State, aboard a clearly marked official vehicle of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. After losing their way, they sought help in Mangu, only to be met with savagery.
Jiddere added, “They were ambushed, hacked down, and burnt alive in what can only be described as a merciless, calculated act of terror.
“Let us be clear: this was not a case of mistaken identity. It was not random. It was an act of evil.
“In any functioning society, a marked official vehicle carrying unarmed civilians, particularly women and children, would be seen as sacrosanct.
“That such a group could be slaughtered in cold blood speaks volumes about the depths of hate, lawlessness, and moral decay festering in parts of our nation.”
The group lamented that the northern region of Nigeria was bleeding daily from unchecked violence.
“In the North-West, villages are emptied and lives stolen through mass abductions and killings.
“In the North-East, terror persists. In the North-Central, random killings and kidnappings have become routine.
“What was once sporadic unrest has mutated into systemic terror, thriving under the shadow of impunity and governmental inertia,” it added.
The Northern Elders Forum rejected silence, tokenism, or bureaucratic lip service.
“This is not the time for vague promises. It is the time for uncompromising, sustained action,” it said.
The NEF demanded “Immediate arrest, public prosecution, and uncompromising punishment of all those responsible for the Mangu massacre;
“Accountability from the Plateau State government and all relevant security agencies, including restitution to the victims’ families and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria;
“A federal security overhaul, not symbolic redeployments, but a real, strategic, and well-funded campaign to reclaim the North from bandits, terrorists, and killers;
“Massive deployment of trained security personnel and intelligence assets to violence-ridden regions across Northern Nigeria.”
It consoled the grieving families, the people of Giwa LG, and the Ahmadu Bello University community.
“We grieve with you. We rage with you. And we stand with every Nigerian regardless of ethnicity, faith, or region, who has suffered because those in power have failed to keep them safe.
“This moment demands courage. It demands honesty. Above all, it demands action. Enough is enough,” it said.
