Tragedy struck once again in Nigeria’s violence-plagued northwest as suspected Fulani terrorist bandits unleashed a deadly ambush on a commercial Hummer bus carrying women and children near Kucheri Bridge, along the road to Wanzamai, on Thursday evening.
The shocking attack, which occurred shortly after sunset, claimed the lives of at least eight people—mostly children and mothers—at the scene.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene as the gunmen opened fire without warning, riddling the bus with bullets in what survivors called a “mass execution.”
Two other vehicles traveling behind the ill-fated bus were intercepted, and all passengers were reportedly abducted into the nearby forest by the gunmen.
“They didn’t even spare the babies,” said one visibly shaken survivor. “Bullets rained until no one was left breathing.”
Local residents believe the same gang behind this atrocity may be connected to the group led by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji. Just weeks ago, Turji’s gang was accused of kidnapping villagers in the same area and demanding ₦32 million in ransom.
Rights activists have decried the unrelenting violence as more than mere banditry. “This is terrorism. This is ethnic cleansing in slow motion,” one advocate said. “Our people are being wiped out in silence, and the world is watching.”
The ambush has drawn widespread outrage across social media and from civil society organizations. Many are demanding immediate intervention from the Nigerian government and international bodies, including the United Nations, UNICEF, and UNESCO.
“This region has become a graveyard for children,” read a widely shared statement online. “Every week, families are digging new graves. Every week, mothers are burying their sons and daughters.”
Criticism has also been directed at the perceived inaction of both the federal government and influential leaders in the north. “The silence of those in power is deafening,” said another statement. “Your silence is complicity. The blood of these innocents is on your hands.”
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the ambush, and the exact number of those abducted remains unknown as of press time. Security forces have yet to release a formal statement on the incident.
This latest attack highlights the deepening crisis of insecurity in the region, where thousands have been killed and countless more displaced due to escalating attacks by heavily armed criminal gangs whose actions increasingly mirror those of terrorist organizations.
