Relatives and friends of 16 hunters who were killed by a mob in Uromi, Edo State, have warned that they may take revenge if the government fails to arrest and punish those responsible.
Beyond Boders recalls that the hunters were travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano State for the Sallah festival when some vigilantes stopped them, suspecting they were kidnappers. They were then beaten and killed. The incident has caused anger across Nigeria.
Most of the hunters came from Toranke in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State.
A hunter and community leader, Alhaji Musa Dogo, said the government must act quickly.
“We cannot allow this to go unanswered. The hunters that were killed were our brothers. We trained together, fought criminals together, and protected our communities together. If the government does not arrest and publicly prosecute those responsible, we will take matters into our own hands. We know how to track down those who commit evil, and we will not hesitate if justice is not served,” he said
Another hunter, Bala Danburan, agreed with him and said, “We know how to sneak into Uromi and take revenge ourselves if justice is not served. This is not a threat; it is a promise. We have buried too many of our own, and we cannot continue like this. We are hunters, not cowards. If the government refuses to act, we will do what is necessary.”
The hunters also want the case to be transferred to Kano State. They said this would help them follow the matter closely and make sure it is not ignored.
“This is not just about us. If they could request for a case to be handled in their state, why can’t we demand the same? This is a matter of fairness. We want the case brought here, where we can follow it closely and ensure that it is not swept under the carpet. The Edo government must cooperate if they want peace,” Dogo said.
Alhaji Usman Bako, another hunter from Bunkure, expressed anger at the attack. He said the victims were ambushed on their way home for the celebration.
Bako also criticised the government for not supporting hunters who help fight bandits and kidnappers. “If the government refuses to fish out and punish those behind this massacre and continues to ignore us, then they are pushing us to the wall. We may be forced to withdraw from joint operations. We will not continue to die in silence.” he warned.
A local resident, Malam Sani Umar, said his younger brother, Yahaya, was among the dead. “Yahaya was a man of courage, always willing to sacrifice himself for the safety of others. He believed in justice, and now he has been killed unjustly. We have been left with nothing but pain, and those who did this are still walking free,” he said sadly.
Hafsat Ibrahim, a mother who lost her son Nasiru, cried as she spoke. “Nasiru was the backbone of our family. Now, who will take care of us? He worked hard to ensure that his younger siblings attended school and that I never went hungry at the table.
“He was a man of dignity, a fearless hunter who sought only to protect his people. But now, he is gone, and we are left in darkness. We demand justice! The killers must be punished according to Islamic rites, and the government should compensate our families. That is the only way to show us that our loved ones did not die in vain.”
Although the governors of Kano and Edo have visited to show their support, the families said they want real action, not just words.
“We need real action. We need to see arrests. We need to see these people prosecuted and punished for what they did. If the government does not act swiftly, it means they are encouraging more of such killings. We are not just mourning our loved ones, we are demanding justice, and we will not stop until it is given.” Umar said.
Meanwhile, there was fear in Sokoto State on Friday after rumours of protests over the killing of the 16 hunters. Many shops, especially those owned by non-indigenes, were shut down in areas like Bello Way, Emir Yahya, Sahara, and Aliyu Jodi.
A trader named Chinedu said he closed his shop after hearing about possible violence. “One should not wait till something happens before we arrange ourselves, so we decided to close our shop.” he said.
Another Igbo trader, who sells tyres, said they remembered past attacks and decided to act early to protect their goods.
Goodwill Junction in Uromi, the place where the lynching happened, was still empty as of Friday. Shops, churches, and homes were locked. Many people have left the area because they are afraid of being arrested or attacked.
A man named John said, “This area has been deserted. You can see that all the houses are shut as no one wants to risk being arrested by the police. I hear the case has now been transferred to Abuja, so those arrested are being taken to Abuja.
“The killing is unfortunate, but what kidnappers and killer herders are doing to indigenes is evil. Imagine getting killed on your farm; hoodlums kidnapping you in the presence of your wife and children.
“I hope the government will use the same zeal and determination it is employing to fish out killers of the travellers to go into the forest and expel killer herders and kidnappers who have turned Edo forest to their permanent residence.”
The Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, said the governor is working hard to solve the security issues.
He also said that the government would announce the amount to be paid as compensation to the victims’ families soon.
