The death toll from a brutal mob attack on a bus carrying Muslim wedding guests in Nigeria’s restive Plateau State has risen to 12, according to a statement from the Nigerian presidency.

Among the victims are the groom’s father and brother.

President Bola Tinubu has strongly condemned the killings, calling the act "barbaric and unacceptable."

This latest violence comes amid heightened tensions in the region, following a series of deadly assaults in recent days allegedly carried out by ethnic Fulani nomadic Muslim herders in Mangu Local Government Area, where dozens have been reported dead.

According to police reports and eyewitnesses, the victims around 30 individuals en route to a wedding lost their way and stopped to ask for directions.

They were then confronted by a mob and attacked with stones, sticks, and machetes. The assailants also set their vehicle on fire.

Authorities had earlier confirmed eight deaths with four individuals unaccounted for, but the death toll has since been updated to 12.

In his statement, President Tinubu directed security agencies to swiftly arrest and prosecute those responsible, urging the Plateau State government to act decisively to curb the recurring cycles of violence.

Long-standing clashes between Fulani herders who are predominantly Muslim and Christian farming communities over land and resources have fueled instability in the region for years.

Police say 22 suspects have been arrested in connection with the latest attack.