The killings, which took place in June in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, claimed the lives of 13 people traveling from the Basawa area of Sabon Gari, Kaduna, to attend a wedding ceremony. Witnesses said the attackers stopped an 18-seater bus, killed some passengers on the spot, and set the vehicle ablaze with others still inside. Survivors later described the assault as unprovoked and brutal.
On August 14, Justice Nafisa Lawal Musa, sitting as a vacation judge at the Plateau State High Court, ordered the release on bail of 20 of the accused. The ruling followed a motion supported by legal advice from the state’s attorney general’s office recommending that the charges be discontinued.
The decision has drawn sharp condemnation from victims’ families and community leaders in Kaduna, who say the ruling undermines faith in the justice system.
“This is deeply worrisome. We lost our loved ones in the most painful way, and to now see suspects walk free on bail shakes our confidence in the courts,” said Abdullahi Tahir Balami, a community elder. He called on Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and northern leaders to intervene and ensure accountability.
Others expressed a sense of betrayal. “I cannot imagine how suspected killers could be granted bail,” said Maryam Usman, the widow of the bus driver who died in the attack. “We have now been thrown into despair.”
The Kaduna State Government has also voiced displeasure, saying it was neither informed of the arraignment of the suspects nor of the bail hearing. Officials said the lack of communication prevented them from sending legal representatives to monitor the proceedings.
Legal analysts have questioned the ruling, noting that while bail is technically possible in homicide cases, it is rarely granted. They argued that such decisions should only come under exceptional circumstances, such as severe health conditions or unreasonable delays in trial.
For the families of Anguwar Danbami, the court’s ruling has added to their grief, leaving them fearful that the killings of their relatives may go unpunished. “We have been abandoned by the system,” said another resident, Mallam Ubale Anguwar Dantsoho. “Justice is all we ask for.”
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