The hunters, who were reportedly travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano State for the Sallah celebration, were intercepted and lynched by vigilantes at Goodwill Junction, along Old Ilushi Road, on suspicion of being kidnappers.
The families and colleagues of 16 hunters lynched in Uromi, Edo State, have issued a stern warning, threatening to “take the law into their own hands” if the government fails to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killings.
The hunters, who were reportedly travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano State for the Sallah celebration, were intercepted and lynched by vigilantes at Goodwill Junction, along Old Ilushi Road, on suspicion of being kidnappers.
The gruesome killing has sparked nationwide outrage and condemnation.
The majority of the victims hailed from Toranke, in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, where mourning has turned to anger and demands for justice.
In interviews with The PUNCH, community leaders, families, and friends of the victims called for swift government action. Alhaji Musa Dogo, a community leader and hunter, said, “We cannot allow this to go unanswered. 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.”
Another hunter, Bala Danburan, echoed the sentiment, vowing, “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.”
The hunters also called for the case to be transferred to a Kano court to ensure transparency and fairness. They referenced a precedent in which the Kano State Government handed over a suspect to Bayelsa State for trial.
Alhaji Usman Bako, another resident of Bunkure, lamented the killing and criticised the government for what he described as neglect of local security outfits like hunters, who have played critical roles in fighting insecurity in rural areas. “If this continues, we may be forced to withdraw from joint operations,” he warned.
Malam Sani Umar, who lost his younger brother Yahaya in the attack, said the family had been left in pain and despair. “Yahaya left behind four children and a wife. He believed in justice, but now he’s been killed unjustly.”
In a tearful interview, Hafsat Ibrahim, mother of another victim, Nasiru, demanded justice and compensation. “He was the backbone of our family… The killers must be punished according to Islamic rites, and the government should compensate us,” she said.
Although governors of Kano and Edo states recently paid condolence visits to the grieving community, victims’ families insist that visits are not enough. “We need real action. We need arrests. We need to see prosecution,” said Sani Umar.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja, issued a stern warning against any group planning reprisals over the recent killings in Uromi, Edo State, stating that security agencies would clamp down on those fuelling tensions.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, had claimed that political leaders from Edo and Kano states had already “resolved” the crisis.
He had said the Edo State government had reached out to the affected families in Kano to douse tensions.
“At the political level, everything has been settled. Anybody or group trying to cause panic or issue threats will be investigated and dealt with accordingly,” Kangye declared.
The military general also pushed back against widespread concerns that security forces relaxed their operations against violent herdsmen, terrorists, and bandits across the country.
“The military is still very much in the fight. We have neutralised many of them and will continue our onslaught against them and their leaders,” Kangye insisted.
The military’s assurances come amid growing fears of reprisal attacks following the Edo killings, with tensions still high despite political leaders’ interventions.
Recall that Operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) also arrested two principal suspects involved in the killing of 16 Nigerians of northern extraction last week.
According to a statement by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, the arrests were made by DSS operatives in Uromi based on credible intelligence.
“Operatives of the DSS have apprehended two principal suspects involved in the killing of 16 Nigerians in Uromi. The arrest was made following credible intelligence, and security forces are intensifying efforts to track down other individuals connected to the crime,” Itua stated.
However, the arrested suspects had been transferred to Abuja for further interrogation and prosecution by relevant authorities.
On the issue of compensation for the victims’ families, Itua clarified that discussions between the Edo and Kano State governments were still ongoing to determine the appropriate form of compensation.
