Outrage has trailed the mob killing of 16 northern travellers at Uromi in Edo State, while transiting from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Kano State. Weekend Trust gathered that the victims were hunters who were returning home for the Sallah celebration.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the murder of the hunters, directing the security operatives in the state to go after the killers and bring them to justice, saying that a thorough investigation should be conducted and the culprits brought to book.
The Northern Governors Forum, Amnesty International among others have also condemned the killing of the men.
The attack
The travellers said to be hunters, were on their way to Kano for the Sallah celebration when a mob intercepted and lynched them on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
Weekend Trust learnt that local vigilantes had stopped the vehicle the victims were travelling in and in the course of search, found Dane guns used by the hunters, a development that reportedly led to the gathering of a mob who concluded the travellers were kidnappers and burn them alive.
In a viral video seen by our reporter, the deceased were seen rounded up by some youths who eventually set them ablaze.
The attackers tied the victims to used tyres, poured petrol on them and set them on fire.
Police confirm incident
The Edo State Police Command said 14 suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.
A statement by the command’s spokesperson, CSP, Moses Yamu, said, ‘‘on March, 27, 2025, a truck with registration number KKF 225 XA, coming from Port Harcourt, conveying 25 travellers from Elele, a suburb of Rivers State, was accosted by some vigilante group members at Uromi.
“Some of the travellers who were found in possession of locally made Dane guns were arrested.
“While this was ongoing, some vigilante members raised an alarm of them being suspected kidnappers, which led some members and passersby in the community to attack and lynch 16 of the occupants while the truck conveying them was equally burnt”.
He said the police went to the scene where 10 of the travellers were rescued, while two of those who sustained various degrees of injuries were rushed to a hospital and that they are responding treatment.
He added that Police Mobile Force personnel with other command tactical teams had been deployed to the area to forestall breakdown of law and order.
“The Commissioner of Police reiterates the need for peaceful coexistence among various groups, and urges residents to remain calm and cooperate with the police as investigations continue,” he said.
He also cautioned against any form of reprisal attacks or unlawful gatherings that may further escalate tensions.
Survivors recount ordeal
Dayyabu Yahya, a survivor shared how he and four others escaped the attack. He recounted: “Our journey was peaceful from Port Harcourt until we reached Uromi, where trouble began. Vigilantes stopped us. I was seated in the front seat. They ordered our driver to step out of the vehicle, but he refused. In response, they flogged him. They also ordered the other passengers to get down from the vehicle, during which they beat us up before grouping us together.
“They inspected our belongings but found nothing suspicious—only some licensed Dane guns. There were about 27 passengers in the vehicle. I can’t say how many of us are missing, but I know that two passengers were hospitalised.”
Another survivor, Mustafa Ali Kassim, said, “The vigilantes started beating us as we were stepping out of the vehicle. After gathering us in one place, the locals joined in and continued the assault. Eventually, the vigilantes stepped back and allowed the locals to beat us while they stood idle, watching. Realising that we would likely be killed, some of us made a run for our lives—I was one of them. While fleeing, I encountered kind-hearted Hausa people, who gave me some money, which I used to reach the Hausa community leader here.”
Torankawa village of Kano in mourning
Weekend Trust learnt that all the victims hail from Torankawa village in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State.
The village, according to our reporter, has been thrown into mourning following the development. According to a source in the village, the identities of three of the victims have been confirmed while several households are apprehensive on whether their relatives are alive or dead.
It was gathered that every year, a group of hunters from the village embark on hunting expeditions to various parts of the country. The source said about 30 of them left the village for the hunting expedition this year. He added that they were told that the victims were on their way back home when the incident happened.
“Our village is in mourning, every family is worried as they do not know whether his or her relative is alive or dead. We received the news of the incident not long ago. We have never heard of something like this before. Reports reaching us revealed the identities of three of the victims,” a source from the village said.
Another native of the village who resides in Rano Malam, Alasan Ubale, lamented the development, saying the practice had been on for long but they had never heard of such incident.
Okpebholo assures of justice
Meanwhile, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, who described the act as barbaric and condemnable, vowed that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
The governor, who spoke at Uromi, through the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Government House, SP Solomon Osaghale, said he was there to ascertain the level of damage done and to ensure that investigation is carried out to ensure justice and forestall a reoccurrence.
He warned that nobody had the right to take another man’s life, stressing that the nature of the killing was a cause of concern to the governor.
“I can assure you that the people involved in this unprovoked attacked will not go scot -free, as His Excellency has directed the Commissioner of Police to launch a full scale investigation into the matter.
“As I speak now, four persons have been arrested for their involvement in this ugly incidence,” he said.
He called for calm while urging the law abiding residents of Uromi, especially the Hausa community in the area to go about their daily activities, as men of the Nigerian police force and other security agencies have been deployed to restore peace and normalcy to the place.
Tinubu orders probe, manhunt for killers
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his reaction condemned the incident.
The president has also called on security operatives in the state to go after the killers and bring them to justice, saying that a thorough investigation should be conducted.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement said the president, “expressed shock at the dastardly act, directed police and other security agencies to conduct swift and thorough investigations and punish the suspected culprits.”
President Tinubu commiserated with the families of the affected victims and assured them that criminals would not be allowed to shed the blood of innocent Nigerians.
The president noted that jungle justice has no place in Nigeria, and all Nigerians have the freedom to move freely in any part of the country.
Northern govs condemn killing
The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has also condemned the killing.
In a statement issued yesterday, chairman of the Forum and governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described the attack as a gross violation of human rights, stressing that extrajudicial violence was “entirely unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned with the utmost severity.”
He said the forum expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and all those affected by the incident.
“We are deeply disturbed by the loss of innocent lives and the horrific manner in which these individuals were attacked.
“This appalling act undermines the rule of law and the very fabric of our society. It is imperative that the relevant authorities conduct a full and thorough investigation into this senseless act. The perpetrators must be identified, arrested, and brought to justice swiftly,” he said.
Governor Yahaya reiterated that all Nigerians, regardless of their region, should be able to travel freely and safely without fear of harassment, violence, or intimidation.
Atiku, Kwankwaso speak
In the same, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, while reacting to the development expressed “deep sorrow over the incident” and called for thorough investigation.
“I am deeply saddened by reports of the tragic killing of some hunters in Edo State. My heartfelt condolences go out to their families and loved ones,” Atiku stated on his Facebook account.
He called for a transparent and impartial investigation to ensure justice is served and prevent future occurrences of mob violence.
“The protection of innocent lives must remain paramount, and I urge the authorities to act swiftly and decisively to prevent a recurrence of jungle justice. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done to restore public confidence in our security institutions”, he said.
Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in the last general elections, also condemned the mob action.
In his Facebook post, he described the incident as barbaric and emphasised the right of all Nigerians to travel freely without fear of harassment or intimidation.
Go after killers, Barau tells security agencies
On his part, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, urged security agencies to immediately go after the perpetrators.
Describing the killings as barbaric, inhumane, and devilish, the Deputy Senate President appealed to the Edo State Police Command and other security agencies to take decisive action to bring the culprits to justice.
Senator Barau, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, called for calm, assuring that the perpetrators would not go unpunished.
He disclosed his intention to sponsor a motion in the Senate to ensure that those responsible for the killings are held accountable.
“I have been inundated with calls by my constituents and other Nigerians on the horrific murder of innocent individuals in Edo State. I condemn in totality the barbaric killing of innocent Nigerians.
“I, hereby, appeal to our security agencies to quickly swing into action to arrest these evildoers and ensure that they are punished in line with the gravity of their criminal acts.”
Amnesty International too
Also, Amnesty International, in a statement on Friday signed by the Country Director, Isa Sanusi, condemned the incident.
“The Nigerian authorities must go beyond merely condemning the incident and ensure that the suspected attackers are apprehended and brought to justice in a fair trial,” the statement read.
“The consistent failure of the Nigerian government to punish mob violence has created an environment in which violent mobs believe themselves entitled to take the law into their own hands,” Mr Sanusi said.
Amnesty International described the lynching as part of a growing trend of vigilante groups unlawfully blocking highways and engaging in violent acts with impunity.
“The horrific mob violence that happened at Uromi is part of the rising trend of vigilante groups of towns and villages along highways blocking roads and carrying out unlawful activities with impunity.
“The fact that these killings have been happening for a long time, with few cases investigated and prosecuted, highlights the authorities’ shocking failure to uphold and fulfill their obligation to protect people from harm and violence”, Mr Sanusi said.
AYCF reacts
Also, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) in a press statement signed by Yerima Shetima, its President General, said ,“The subsequent actions of an irate mob, incited by unfounded claims of kidnapping, led to a grotesque act of barbarism that is both regrettable and unacceptable. The mob’s actions resulted in the loss of 16 precious lives, with some bodies tragically trapped inside the vehicle that was set ablaze.
“Eyewitness accounts reveal the horrifying scene where some victims were allegedly removed on wheelbarrows and thrown into the flames, a chilling testament to the sickening reality of mob justice that has taken root in most Southern Nigerian communities’’, he said.
He expressed concern over the act of mob violence and called for immediate and thorough investigations into the tragedy.
Arewa in South South condemn killings, demand justice
The South South Coordinator of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Musa Saidu, has also condemned the killing.
Alhaji Musa Saidu, who spoke with our reporter in Port Harcourt, said
the victims were innocent people who were working hard to eke out a living.
He said, “We the Arewa people and the entire Hausa community in Rivers State and the entire South South condemn the killing and
call on the Inspector-General of Police, the AIG zone 5, the DSS, the governor of Edo State and the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of these innocent people. We want this incident thoroughly investigated and all those found culpable punished”.
[Daily Trust]
