Uromi residents flee over fear of reprisals

Residents of Uromi town and neighbouring communities in Edo State are fleeing their homes, gripped by fear of potential reprisals and police arrests following the killing of 16 travelling hunters of northern extraction. The incident, which occurred last Thursday, has plunged the community into turmoil, with shops closed and many people abandoning their homes. The […]

Residents of Uromi town and neighbouring communities in Edo State are fleeing their homes, gripped by fear of potential reprisals and police arrests following the killing of 16 travelling hunters of northern extraction.

The incident, which occurred last Thursday, has plunged the community into turmoil, with shops closed and many people abandoning their homes.

The atmosphere in Uromi remains tense, as both residents and visitors grapple with uncertainty about what might follow.

In a chat with the BBC Hausa Service, Babangida SBJ Yawuri, leader of the Northern Youth Union in Uromi, expressed the mounting fear among residents.

“People are living in panic. Shops are closed, and many have started leaving the town, unsure of what could happen next,” he said.

Yawuri added that the incident has left many indigenous residents of Uromi afraid to visit the Hausa market.

“Because of what they witnessed; strong actions were taken against the Hausa community. People are saying they’ve never seen such actions before,” he said.

Edo State Government said principal suspects linked to the killings had been arrested and transferred to Abuja for interrogation and prosecution while security operatives are hunting for other key suspects.

Community leaders and organisations have called for calm, urging the authorities to ensure justice is served and restore peace to the troubled area.

Barau donates N16m to victims’ families

Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, on Wednesday visited Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State to sympathise with the families of the 16 travellers who were killed in Uromi, Esan North East LGA of Edo State.

He met the families of the victims, who hailed from Bunkure, Kibiya, Rano and Garko LGAs, at the At-Taqwa Mosque in the Sabon Fegi area of the Bunkure LGA.

Barau, in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, assured the families of the deceased hunters that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

He announced the donation of N1m to each of the families of the 16 deceased hunters, totalling N16 million.

“I was worried when the incident happened. I had to call the state governor, security agencies and all stakeholders involved. They swung into action, and so far apart from the 14 people who have been arrested, two more suspects have been nabbed. The state governor, who visited my house in Abuja, has assured me that the state government will support you.

“We will not take it lightly. We will ensure that the culprits are brought to book and face the wrath of the law,” he said.