Claim: Different Facebook users claimed that Christian ethnic militias in Mangu communities blocked roads and carried out retaliatory attacks on Muslim travellers.
Verdict: MISLEADING. Findings revealed that the attack, which led to the death of eight Muslim travellers, happened on June 20, 2025. Also, no evidence points to Christians ethnic militias as the perpetrators, contrary to the post.
Full Text
A Facebook user, Northern Nigeria Hub, claimed in a post (archived here) that a Jos-based witness alleged Christian ethnic militias in the Mangu community blocked roads in Sabon Gari, Mangu LGA, on May 2, 2026. The user further explained that travelling Muslims were pulled out of their vehicles and killed, while security personnel present failed to stop the attack.
The post claimed that two eyewitnesses who supposedly recounted their ordeals revealed that seven Muslim travelling civilians and two soldiers were killed before reinforcement arrived around 6 p.m. The post stated that the Plateau state government, police, and the military have yet to issue a statement on the supposed attack, even as the poster could not independently verify the supposed attackers’ ethnic identity.
Since the post was made on May 4, 2026, it has gained over 2,100 reactions, 1,400 comments, and 1,100 reshares. The video inserted in the comment section as evidence of the claim was also shared here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Adam Abdullahi, a Facebook user who commented on the Northern Nigeria Hub’s post, said, “Revenge is necessary.”
Mubarak Usman, another Facebook user, had strong words for people who supported the attack. He wrote, “Going through the comments section, I found that many people are supporting the killing of the [innocent] road passers. I pray such will [happen] to [you] or [your loved] ones so [you] can feel the taste.”
However, DUBAWA found comments expressing disbelief and questioning the claim’s authenticity.
Bulus Iliya said, “Why do you always push narratives that will cause dissatisfaction and eventually crisis. This is wicked propaganda, [it is] not good.”
Mike Goman, another Facebook user, expressed disdain for propaganda intended to fan the embers of hatred and discord. He said,
“The poster should always try to verify his information before dishing it out. The country is already bleeding, tense, and emotions are high. Let’s give peace a chance and embrace one another irrespective of our religious, tribal and ethnic differences.”
The virality of the claim, the conflicting comments, and its potential to incite ethnic or religious violence prompted DUBAWA to investigate the claim.
Verification
Using keyword searches, DUBAWA discovered several reports from June 20, 2025, that bore a close connection to the now-viral claim. At the time, suspected youth from the villages in Mangu LGA ambushed a bus conveying 32 Muslim passengers from Zaria, Kaduna State, to Qua’an-Pan in Plateau State. Eight Muslim passengers were initially killed, but the death toll rose to 13 as of June 23, 2025.
The state government, in a statement by Gyang Bere, the state governor’s director of press and public affairs, condemned the attack. As of July 10, 2025, the Plateau State Police Command had arraigned 22 suspected perpetrators of the attack, including two minors. However, we found no evidence that the perpetrators were Christian ethnic militias, as indicated in the recent claim.
As of May 5, 2026, no credible media organisation reported that Muslim travellers were recently attacked in the community. Neither the state government nor Islamic human rights organisations across the country issued any statement to address the claim. Considering the severity of the claim, their silence likely indicates that the incident did not occur recently as claimed.
DUBAWA contacted Panan Dapar, an indigene of the community and the Plateau State Youth Council chairperson, who debunked the claim. He urged the public to ignore the rumour, which he claimed was being amplified by “mischief-makers.”
He said, “There has not been any recent incident of an attack on travellers in Plateau State other than the sad incident of last year involving travellers from Zaria who were on transit to Quanpan LGC of the state.”
Also, DUBAWA reached out to Bassey Ewah, the Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, who revealed that the claim is not true. He confirmed that the viral claim happened last year.
The state police public relations officer, Alfred Alabo, disclosed that there were no attacks against Muslim travellers. The police had deployed officers to the community to intervene in what he described as “a bit of unrest.”
Alfred also mentioned that the community does not have Christian ethnic militias who could execute such an action depicted in the viral claim.
Further findings by DUBAWA revealed that the unrest was a protest that occurred after unknown gunmen attacked miners at the community, which led to the death of two young residents on April 30, 2026.
Conclusion
The claim that Christian ethnic militias in Sabon Gari, Mangu LGA, attacked and killed Muslim travellers is misleading. The incident occurred in June 2025, and there is no evidence in the viral video to support the claim.