Senate condemns Edo mob killings, seeks law to regulate vigilante groups

The senate has condemned the killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo state, describing the incident as a gross violation of human rights and a threat to national unity.

On March 27, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo allegedly attacked and killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.

The victims, many of whom were from Kano state, were reportedly attacked and set ablaze by suspected vigilante members.

Raising a motion during the plenary on Tuesday, Suleiman Kawu, the senator representing Kano south, said the killings were unjustified and posed a danger to Nigeria’s fragile security structure.

“It is unacceptable that citizens are killed without recourse to law or justice. The right to life is sacrosanct,” Kawu said.

The killings, which have triggered widespread outrage, were described by lawmakers as “a dangerous sign of growing lawlessness”.

Barau Jibrin, the deputy senate president, criticised the actions of the vigilantes, saying they should have handed the travellers to law enforcement for proper investigation.

“Rather than hand the travellers to the police for verification, they acted on assumptions and took the law into their own hands,” Jibrin said.

The deputy senate president who seconded the motion commended Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, “for working with the police and all the security agencies to apprehend those who committed that heinous crime”.

He said the victims were traditional and professional hunters who go from place to place to hunt.

“Once they are able to get animals, they will bring them back and sell them,” he said.

Rufai Hanga, the senator representing Kano central, commended the Kano state government and traditional leaders for urging restraint.

“Without their swift intervention, we could have witnessed an avoidable ethnic crisis,” he said.

The senate observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims and resolved to support the ongoing investigation by the Edo state government.

The lawmakers also called for adequate compensation for the bereaved families and demanded urgent legislation to regulate vigilante and local hunter groups across the country.

They said the proposed law would provide a legal framework for identifying, monitoring and supervising the operations of such groups, particularly during interstate activities.

“The lack of regulation has created room for abuse and mistaken identity, leading to tragedies like this,” the senate stated in its resolution.

The lawmakers added that a formal oversight mechanism would help prevent future occurrences, uphold the rule of law, and rebuild public trust in community security efforts.

On April 10, Okebholo said the federal government and his administration have constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate the killings of the hunters.

“This incident has opened our eyes, and we are ready to address a lot of issues about the country and how to make life better for us all,” Okpebholo was quoted as saying in a statement by Fred Itua, his media aide.