Following the recent attack on some travellers passing thought Edo state from Porthacourt to Kano, 16 hunters were killed in an extrajudicial act by some thugs in a town called Uromi.
More so, in an interview with the Freedom Radio on Facebook that was originally in Hausa language, one Abubakar Abdullahi who had lived in Uromi for the past ten years gave an account of the incident.
He explained that Uromi is renown for such attacks on travellers passing through it as several hummer busses carrying passengers have been attacked as well as Dangote trucks where passengers and the vehicles have been set ablaze.
He added that although calm has returned to the town, angry Hausa community have also launched a reprisal attack that was tamed by their leaders who promised them the law will take its course.
What happened:
“My name is Abubakar Abdullahi from Kiru Local Government of Kano state, I have lived in Edo state for the past 10 years at a town called Uromi.
“What actually happened was that there were some hunters travelling from Porthacourt through the town to Kano.
“Usually our there are hunters from the north that travel to the southern parts for hunting during dry seasons before they return home to farm during the wet season.
“They were on their way back and have passed various states like Enugu, Bayelsa Anambra and Delta states and have reached Edo state on their journey home.
“It was here in Edo in a particular local government called Uromi, where some members of the vigilante stoped them on Thursday on the night.
“They asked them questions on where they were coming form and where they were going to and they explained to them that they were hunters travelling home to Kano from Porthacourt.
“It is known to all that hunters do carry dame guns, even here in the south, they use it in the bush for hunting, is nothing new both here in the south and in the north as well.
“When the vigilante saw the same guns while searching them one after the other, they insisted that they were not hunters but kidnappers”.
Travellers Not Kidnappers:
“The travellers refused any connections with kidnapping insisting that they are hunters going home from Porthacourt.
“The vigilante refused and insisted that the travellers were kidnappers. But at this point the right thing to do was to take them to the authorities, the police and prove that they are kidnappers so that they an be prosecuted accordongly. But they didn’t. They rather took the law into their own hands”.
The Vigilantes And Thugs:
“Now these so-called vigilantes are mostly illiterates and uniformed. They immediately started beating them and torturing them as well falsely claiming that they were kidnappers. They battered and injured them severely.
“In addition to that they were joined by some jobless people around and thugs in this unlawful act of torture. The victims were trying to run for their lives but we’re overpowered by them.
“The victims were actually 24 in number as shown in the media. Yes the travellers were 24 in number actually. But those that were actually killed from among them are 16 in number. They burned them alive.
“Another thing that I also want to let you know is that there are other victims that are members of the Hausa community in the town working as commercial bike riders and other business owners that were also killed by the mob.
“The total number of those killed by the mob was more that 16, those 16 people referred to are actually the victims who are hunters travelling back home. But there were more victims that are resident in the town”.
Reprisal Attack:
“There are those of the Hausa community in the town that were affected by this extrajudicial act. Some are killed and a lot others were injured.
“The Police Commissioner of Edo state (Betty Otimenyin) came to the town and pleaded with them for peace. Because the Hausa community was angered and they have all come out to defend themselves from any planed attack on them by the thugs.
“The Hausas have also launched attack on the town and even burnt some property while the some of the resident fled the town.
“This led to the head of the Hausa community also coming to the scene to plead with them for peace and to allow the law to take its course.
“The victims of this unfortunate incident are mostly form Kano state. They are from places like Rano, Bunkure, Kura and Rurum. That was exactly what happened because we have spoken with some of the victims who told us what happened.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the northern leaders to ensure that the law takes its course to avoid reprisal attacks. Let justice be done”.
Uromi A Dangerous Place:
“This kind of thing used to happen in that same Uromi that this incident took place. The same people have committed such crimes severally and nothing has been done to them.
“They have burnt several hurmmer busses travelling through Edo state, they have burnt about five Dangote trucks in that same town at different times.
“In event of any incident, like accident and the like in that area, they will just come out and attack the passengers, burn down vehicles loot them and set human beings ablaze.
“This is not the first time it is happening, it has happened severally, this incident has only gone viral, that is why it is all over the media, but it is a common practice with the people of that area”.
We are All Nigerians:
“I want to call on the those on authority to tame these occurrences, by taking the right action to stop it.
“There is no way you can stop any Nigerian from travelling to any part of the country, just as there are our people here in the south, there are also people from the south that are living in the north. This is supported by this constitution.
“We have been coexisting peacefully, we take their goods for them to their people, and they collect ours from our people living there and bring them to us. So this should be stopped.
“We are all citizens of the same country irrespective of our tribe race or religion. Everyone is free to go anywhere, to do his business and own property as well. The. Authorities should reach out to this community where this unfortunate incident is taking place and ensure that they stop it” he stated.
