By Mike Odeh James
The families and colleagues of the 16 hunters who were recently lynched in Uromi, Edo State, have issued a strong ultimatum, threatening to take retaliatory action if the government fails to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the killings.
The hunters, who were reportedly en route from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano State for the upcoming Sallah celebration, were tragically intercepted and killed by vigilantes at Goodwill Junction along Old Ilushi Road. The vigilantes reportedly suspected the hunters of being kidnappers.
The brutal killings have ignited widespread condemnation and outrage across the nation.
The majority of the victims hailed from Toranke in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, where grief has quickly turned into anger and a fervent demand for justice.
Speaking with The PUNCH, community leaders, family members, and friends of the deceased hunters called for immediate government intervention. Alhaji Musa Dogo, a community leader and fellow hunter, stated emphatically, “We cannot allow this to go unpunished. If the government does not arrest and publicly prosecute those responsible, we will take matters into our own hands. We have the means to find those who committed this evil.”
Echoing this sentiment, another hunter, Bala Danburan, vowed, “We know how to infiltrate Uromi and exact our own revenge if justice is not served by the authorities. This is not merely a threat; it is a firm promise.”
The grieving hunters also demanded that the case be transferred to a court in Kano State to ensure transparency and impartiality in the legal proceedings. They cited a past instance where the Kano State Government handed over a suspect to Bayelsa State for trial as a precedent.
Alhaji Usman Bako, a resident of Bunkure, expressed his sorrow over the killings and criticized the government for what he perceived as a lack of support for local security outfits like hunters, who have historically played a crucial role in combating insecurity in rural areas. “If this neglect continues, we may be compelled to withdraw from joint security operations,” he warned.
Malam Sani Umar, who lost his younger brother Yahaya in the attack, spoke of the profound pain and despair that has engulfed his family. “Yahaya left behind four young children and a wife. He believed in justice, but now he has been unjustly killed.”
In a tearful interview, Hafsat Ibrahim, the mother of another victim, Nasiru, pleaded for justice and compensation. “He was the sole provider for our family… The killers must be punished according to Islamic law, and the government must provide adequate compensation to the bereaved families,” she implored.
While the governors of both Kano and Edo states have paid condolence visits to the affected community, the families of the victims maintain that these gestures are insufficient. “Visits are not enough. We need concrete action. We need arrests, and we need to see those responsible brought to justice,” insisted Sani Umar.
It is worth noting that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja had previously issued a strong warning against any planned reprisal attacks, stating that security agencies would take decisive action against those inciting tensions. Major General Markus Kangye, the Director of Defence Media Operations, claimed on Thursday that political leaders from Edo and Kano states had already “resolved” the crisis and that the Edo State government had reached out to the affected families to de-escalate the situation.
“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,” General Kangye had declared.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the arrest of two principal suspects involved in the killings in Uromi. According to a statement from Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, the arrests were made in Uromi based on credible intelligence. The arrested suspects have reportedly been transferred to Abuja for further investigation and prosecution. Discussions regarding compensation for the victims’ families are reportedly ongoing between the Edo and Kano State governments.
Despite these developments, the families of the slain hunters in Kano remain insistent on seeing tangible justice served and have made their threat of reprisal clear if their demands are not met.
