At least 16 travellers of Northern Nigeria extraction were brutally killed in the Udune Efandion community of Uromi, Edo State, after being labelled as kidnappers.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday when the victims, said to be primarily Hausa hunters, were en route from Port Harcourt to Kano for the Sallah festivities.
It was gathered that they were intercepted around 1:30pm by members of the Edo State Security Corps and local vigilantes and an irate mob took the law into their hands.
A security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama confirmed the incident on his X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday, sparking outrage over the extrajudicial killings.
He said, “The sight of their hunting guns. Dane guns commonly used in the North was misinterpreted as a threat. Instead of contacting the police, or other security agencies, local vigilantes raised a false alarm, which ignited a wave of chaos and violence.
“The reaction was swift and brutal. Local youths, incited by the unfounded accusations, viciously attacked the travellers, resulting in the tragic loss of 16 lives on the spot. In a grotesque act of barbarism, the mob set the truck ablaze, leaving some bodies trapped inside the vehicle.
“While some people were taken out on wheelbarrow and thrown inside fire. This gruesome scene only points to the sickening reality of mob justice that has taken root in certain communities.”
It was also gathered that response from security operatives came too late for the victims.
“By the time they arrived on the scene following a distress call, the damage had been done. Four survivors were rescued and rushed to His Grace Hospital in Uromi for urgent medical treatment.”
He noted that authorities had confirmed the arrest of five suspects.
Zagazola added that the Hausa community in Uromi held an emergency peace meeting to address the situation and aimed to prevent any further reprisals.
When contacted, Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Moses Joel Yamu, said; “I am still trying to gather facts. I will definitely revert back. I don’t want to give incomplete information.”