Tragic Attack in Taraba State Leaves Seven Dead, Others Missing
Seven lifeless bodies, including women, a baby, and a man, were discovered in a remote forest of Taraba State following a harrowing assault on an 18-seater bus traveling from Zaki Biam in Benue State to Maihula in Bali local government area of Taraba State on Tuesday.
The assailants, believed to be vigilantes, struck the bus at Gamkwe village in Mararaba-Baisa of Donga local government area, leaving the driver, Mr. Jimen Angera, wounded with machete cuts as he attempted to flee to safety.
In an exclusive phone conversation with LEADERSHIP, Angera recounted the terror, stating, “The armed vigilantes were heavily armed with guns, machetes, and other weapons when they ambushed my vehicle.”
Reports indicate that initially, 15 passengers were held captive by the vigilantes, while the driver, the bus conductor, Mr. Mpuuga Mbaave, and one other individual managed to escape the clutches of their captors.
Angera described the chilling ordeal, saying, “As I approached them, some of the vigilantes began shouting, ‘kill them all, it’s their people who killed our members,’ and they started attacking the passengers, inflicting grievous machete wounds.”
“They forced us out of the vehicle and made us lie face down,” Angera continued. “Realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, I leaped back into the bus, abandoning the passengers. My conductor followed suit, both of us bearing machete wounds. Blood flowed from our bodies as we made our escape, leaving the passengers at the mercy of their assailants.”
The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, prompting urgent calls for justice and heightened security measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
