Families, friends and colleagues of the 16 hunters who were killed in Uromi, Edo State, by a mob have threatened that they would avenge their deaths if the government fails to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the crime.
The victims were allegedly travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano State for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration when they were intercepted and lynched by some vigilantes on the suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The killing of the hunters generated outrage across the country.
Most of the murdered hunters hailed from Toranke in the Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State.
Speaking in separate interviews, the friends and families of the victims said only justice would assuage their hurt.
A community leader and hunter from Toranke, Alhaji Musa Dogo, said the government must bring the killers to justice.
He said, “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 publicly 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,” he stated.
His companion, Bala Danburan, who sat with him, nodded in affirmation.
Danburan said, “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 court sitting in Kano State, citing a past case where the Kano State Government handed over a suspect, Yunusa Yellow, to the Bayelsa State Government over 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.
A hunter and resident of Bunkure, Alhaji Usman Bako, expressed sadness over the killing of the 16 hunters.
According to Bako, the hunters were ambushed while returning to the north for the Sallah celebration.
Bako berated the government for neglecting hunters and other local security outfits who risked their lives in the fight against banditry and kidnapping.
Alhaji Bako said, “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.”
He finished by urging authorities to identify hunters as frontline defenders of local communities.
Also speaking, Malam Sani Umar, a resident, stated that his younger brother, Yahaya Umar, was among those killed.
He claims Yahaya left behind four children and a wife.
He said, “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?”
Speaking amid tears, Hafsat Ibrahim, who lost her son, Nasiru, said, “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.”
Commenting on a recent condolence visit by the governors of Edo and Kano states, Umar said, “It gave us some relief knowing that they care about our plight.
“But a visit alone is not enough. We need real action. We need to see arrests. We need to see these people prosecuted and punished for what they did. If the government does not act swiftly, it means they are encouraging more of such killings. We are not just mourning our loved ones; we are demanding justice, and we will not stop until it is given.”
