The families and colleagues of the 16 hunters lynched in Uromi, Edo State, have threatened to take sneak into Edo State to take revenge if the State Government failed to take necessary action to bring the culprits to justice.
In a message to the news men, the families issued a stern warning, threatening to “take the law into their own hands” if those responsible for the gruesome killings are not arrested and prosecuted.
It could be recalled that the hunters, who were reportedly travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano State for the Sallah celebration, were intercepted at Goodwill Junction along Old Ilushi Road by vigilantes who accused them of being kidnappers.
Without any legal process or evidence, they were lynched in an act that has since sparked outrage and widespread condemnation across Nigeria.
The victims mostly hailed from Toranke in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, a community now gripped by grief and rage.
Meanwhile, their mourning has swiftly turned into a call for justice, with many expressing doubts over the government’s commitment to ensuring accountability.
Community leaders and relatives of the deceased, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, made their anger clear and warned that the consequences of inaction could be severe.
“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,” Alhaji Musa Dogo, a prominent hunter and community leader said. Similarly, another hunter, Bala Danburan, stated bluntly, “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.”
Alhaji Usman Bako, another resident of Bunkure, not only condemned the killings but also criticised the government for what he described as the marginalisation of local security groups such as hunters, who often assist in rural security efforts.
“If this continues, we may be forced to withdraw from joint operations,” he warned, suggesting that the fallout from the incident could have broader implications on national security collaboration at the grassroots level.
