Relatives and colleagues of the 16 hunters who were lynched by a mob in Uromi, Edo State, have vowed to seek revenge if the government fails to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the brutal killings. The victims, who were traveling from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Kano for the Sallah celebration, were accused by vigilantes of being kidnappers and subsequently murdered. The incident has sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria.
Most of the victims hailed from Toranke in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, and their deaths have deeply affected their families and friends. Speaking on behalf of the grieving families, Alhaji Musa Dogo, a community leader and fellow hunter from Toranke, emphasized the need for justice. He warned that the hunters’ community would not tolerate the killings going unpunished. “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 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,” Dogo stated.
His companion, Bala Danburan, agreed, adding, “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 demanded that the case be transferred to a Kano State court, referencing a similar situation where the Kano State Government had requested the transfer of a suspect, Yunusa Yellow, to Bayelsa State for an alleged kidnapping. “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 his anger over the killings. He criticized the government for neglecting the role that hunters and local security outfits play in the fight against banditry and kidnapping. “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,” Bako said, calling for recognition of hunters as key defenders of their communities.
Malam Sani Umar, a resident, also shared his grief, revealing that his younger brother, Yahaya Umar, was among the victims. “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. How can we accept this? How can we sleep knowing that the government has not acted?” Umar asked, visibly distraught.
Hafsat Ibrahim, who lost her son Nasiru, expressed her sorrow, saying, “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.”
Despite the overwhelming grief, Umar acknowledged a recent condolence visit by the governors of Edo and Kano states, which provided some solace to the mourning families. “It gave us some relief knowing that they care about our plight,” Umar said, though the anger and sense of injustice remain strong among the affected families and the wider community. The call for justice continues to grow louder, with many warning that further delays in prosecuting the culprits may lead to severe repercussions.
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