Edo Massacre: How 16 Northerners Were Killed Over False Allegations, Video Emerges

Edo Massacre: How 16 Northerners Were Killed Over False Allegations, Video Emerges

  • About 16 Nigerians who were travellers from the northern part of the country were allegedly killed by a mob in the Uromi area of Edo state
  • Reports stated that the victims, who were hunters with Dane guns, were travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano for Eid when they were stopped by local vigilantes, who falsely accused them and raised an alarm
  • The local vigilantes' alarm led to the gathering of the mob, who took the law into their own hands and set the travellers on fire

Uromi, Edo - No fewer than 16 Nigerians travelling from the northern part of the country were reportedly killed in a horrifying act of mob justice in the Udune Efandion community of Uromi, 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.

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Nigerian police address the killing of 16 people travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano for Eid in Uromi, Edo state.
Amid growing outrage, Nigerian police react to the killing of 16 persons travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano for Eid in Uromi, Edo state. Photo Credit: @PoliceNG
Source: Twitter

Details of travellers' massacre in Edo

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, the victims were primarily Hausa hunters travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano for the Sallah festivals. They were reportedly intercepted at around 1.30 pm by members of the Edo state security corps and local vigilantes.

Upon spotting their hunting Dane guns, which are commonly used in the north, the vigilantes misinterpreted them as a threat. Instead of reporting the travellers to the police or other security agencies, they allegedly raised a false alarm, triggering chaos and violence.

The youths' reaction was reportedly swift and brutal, driven by the unfounded accusations. The travellers were viciously attacked, resulting in the deaths of 16 people on the spot. The mob allegedly set the truck ablaze, trapping some bodies inside the vehicle.

Amid the ensuing melee, some victims were reportedly placed on wheelbarrows and thrown into the fire, reflecting the disturbing pattern of mob justice witnessed in some communities across Nigeria.

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Edo lynching: Survivors recount how vigilantes, mob killed northern hunters over false kidnap claims

Police are now in charge following a mob attack in Edo
Police have spoken about the mob attack on some Nigerians in Eco Photo Credit: @PoliceNG
Source: Twitter

Police intervention in Edo killings

Makama further reported that security operatives arrived too late to intervene. By the time they responded to the distress call, the damage had already been done.

According to him, four survivors were reportedly rescued and taken to a hospital in Uromi for urgent medical attention.

He further explained that the authorities have reported the arrest of five suspects while lamenting that the arrest would not bring back those who have died or alleviate the trauma caused to the families of the deceased.

The Hausa community in Uromi has held an emergency meeting to restore peace and prevent any further reprisal attacks. On the other hand, the police have maintained that "the law must take its course", adding that those heinous crimes.

See his full statement here:

Police save two from mob in Edo

In another development, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Edo police command intervened on December 14, 2024, and rescued two individuals, including a minor, from a mob.

Read also

Edo massacre: Northern governors blow hot over killings of 16 travellers

Eyewitnesses revealed that the alleged victim later admitted to testing his manhood and finding it intact.

The police had released the suspects to their relatives for medical treatment while investigating the circumstances surrounding the bizarre incident and urged the public to reject jungle justice.

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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Bada Yusuf avatar

Bada Yusuf (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Yusuf Amoo Bada is an accomplished writer with 7 years of experience in journalism and writing, he is also politics and current affairs editor with Legit.ng. He holds B.A in Literature from OAU, and Diploma in Mass Comm. He has obtained certificates in Google's Advance Digital Reporting, News Lab workshop. He previously worked as an Editor with OperaNews. Legit’s Best Editor of the Year for Politics and Current Affairs Desk (2023). Contact: bada.yusuf.amoo@corp.legit.ng

James Ojo avatar

James Ojo (Copyeditor) James Ojo is a copy editor at Legit.ng. He is an award-winning journalist with a speciality in investigative journalism. He is a fellow of Nigeria Health Watch Prevent Epidemics Journalism Fellowship (2023), WSCIJ Collaborative Media Project (2022), ICIR Health Reporting (2022), YouthHubAfrica’s Basic Education Media Fellowship (2022), Countering the Fake News Epidemic (MacArthur Foundation) 2021, and Tiger Eye Foundation Fellowship. Email: james.ojo@corp.legit.ng