The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has condemned the killing of 18 wedding guests from Basawa in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, describing the incident in Plateau State as a premeditated act of evil and a grim reflection of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, NEF said the victims, including women and children, were ambushed, hacked to death, and burned alive while en route to a wedding in Quan-Pan Local Government Area.
His words: “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.”
According to the forum, the victims were travelling in an official vehicle of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, when they lost their way and stopped in Mangu Local Government Area to seek help. Instead, they were met with violence, with only two out of the 18 passengers surviving the attack.
NEF said the killings represent a broader failure of leadership and the collapse of the state’s ability to protect citizens.
“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,” Jiddere stated.
The group decried the growing violence across northern Nigeria, citing mass abductions in the North-West, persistent terrorism in the North-East, and frequent killings in the North-Central.
“What was once sporadic unrest has mutated into systemic terror, thriving under the shadow of impunity and governmental inertia,” the statement added.
NEF called for the immediate arrest and public prosecution of the perpetrators, accountability from the Plateau State Government and security agencies, and a full federal security overhaul.
“This is not the time for vague promises. The North is tired of burying its dead,” the group warned.
The forum demanded massive deployment of security forces to violence-prone areas, with clear timelines, measurable outcomes, and transparent reporting.
“The obligation to protect life is not a favour — it is a constitutional duty. Failure to act now is not just negligence; it is complicity,” NEF said.
The group also extended condolences to the families of the victims, the people of Giwa Local Government Area, 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, honesty, and above all, action. Enough is enough,” it stated.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
