Edo Lynching: Survivors Recount How Vigilantes, Mob Killed Northern Hunters Over False Kidnap Claims
- Two northern hunters, survivors of a brutal attack in Edo State, recount how vigilantes and locals falsely accused them of being kidnappers and killed many in their group
- The incident in Uromi, Esan North-East LGA, has sparked nationwide outrage, prompting strong condemnation from President Bola Tinubu and other leaders
- Authorities, including the Edo State Governor and police, have vowed to investigate the attack, ensure justice, and prevent further acts of jungle justice
Two survivors of a brutal attack on a group of northern hunters in Edo State have shared their harrowing ordeal, recounting how they were stopped, assaulted, and accused of being kidnappers, leading to killings of many by vigilantes and locals.
The incident, which occurred on Friday in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area, has sparked nationwide outrage.
President Bola Tinubu, and other prominent Nigerians including the Edo state Governor have condemned the violence and called for a thorough investigation.
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Lucky survivors narrate harrowing ordeal
Dayyabu Yahaya, a hunter from Bunkure LGA in Kano State, narrated how their peaceful return from a hunting expedition in Port Harcourt turned into a nightmare.
“We were actually en route from Port Harcourt and didn’t experience any problem until we reached Uromi, where vigilante members stopped us,” Yahaya said.
“I was seated in the front row, and they asked the driver to come out, but he hesitated. Before we knew it, they started beating him.”
Despite complying with orders to disembark, the hunters were met with violence.
“We were coming down, but they kept beating and flogging us,” he said.
The vigilantes searched their luggage but found only clothes, palm oil, and their licensed local hunting guns which they then used to label them as kidnappers.
“If we were kidnappers, how did we travel all the way from Port Harcourt to Kano with our dogs without any issue?” Yahaya questioned.
“All the guns are local hunting guns with licenses. The papers were in our luggage,” he stated.
He also noted that of the 27 hunters in the group, only five escaped alive, while two others were hospitalized. Although he said he is not aware of the exact number of fatalities.
Vigilante left us to death - survivor
Meanwhile, another survivor, Mustapha Alkasim from Katsina State, shared a similar experience.
“We are northerners who went to Port Harcourt for hunting and were returning home when vigilantes stopped us,"Alkasim said.
“They started dragging us, creating unnecessary trouble, and beating us even as we pleaded for them to let us step down properly."
The situation escalated when locals joined in the assault. “The vigilantes left us with the mob, and in that chaos, some of us managed to escape," he said.
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Alkasim said he was fortunate to find help from some Hausa residents who took him to the Emir of Hausawa’s palace.
"Nobody asked us questions, they just searched our luggage, found our local hunting guns, and accused us.”
“None of the guns were the type used by bandits. They were traditional hunting weapons,” he lamented.
Legit.ng had earlier reported how the attack has drawn widespread condemnation, with President Bola Tinubu describing it as “unacceptable and a stain on our unity."
He also called for an immediate investigation, urging security agencies to ensure perpetrators face the full wrath of the law.
On the other hand, the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has also condemned the violence, vowing that the state government would work with security agencies to prevent such incidents.
“We will not tolerate jungle justice or ethnic profiling in Edo," he stated.
Similarly, the Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the NNPP presidential candidate, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have equally joined the chorus of condemnation, calling for restraint and unity.
Police authorities in Edo State, however confirmed that an investigation is underway, with assurances that justice will be served.
How 16 northerners were killed over false allegations
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that no less than 16 traveling Nigerians from the northern part of the country were reportedly killed in a horrifying display of mob justice in the Udune Efandion community of Uromi in Edo State.
The travellers were said to have been falsely accused of kidnapping when they fell into the hands of the irate mobs who took the law into their own hands on Thursday, March 28.
