March 31, (THEWILL) – The 16 travellers mobbed to death in Uromi, Edo State were buried on Saturday, in accordance with Muslim burial rites, amid more reactions and condemnation by various groups, individuals, state governments, religious organisations and members of the National Assembly.
On Sunday, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, lent his voice to calls for calm and peace across the country. He also condemned the killing of the travellers on a mere presumption that they were kidnappers and pledged that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice.
There is something about the Uromi incident, something that arouses curiosity and calls for a detailed investigation of the circumstances leading to the murder of the 16 travellers. There are gaps in the narrative that require filling and puzzles that need to be solved.
In a nutshell, reports claimed that the travellers, believed to be hunters, were stopped in transit at Uromi by a vigilante group on their way to Kano from Rivers State.
The vigilante searched the truck conveying the hunters to their destination, found dane guns and concluded that they were kidnappers on a mission to attack and abduct some innocent people somewhere.
Even as the travellers explained that they were hunters heading to Kano to celebrate Eid el- Fitri with their loved ones, the vigilante group went ahead, colluding with some faceless members of the public, to lynch them.
Needless to add, the tragic incident has been widely condemned across the country, with many calling for justice for the deceased who were clearly victims of ethnic profiling, which appears to have intensified these past years. They were mistaken for Fulani kidnappers.
President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into the incident and instructed the security forces to fish out the killers of the travelling hunters.
As mentioned earlier, there is a need to address certain puzzling issues. For example, how come the vigilante group hastily concluded that the travelling hunters were kidnappers? In that case, why did they not handover the hunters to the Police?
Perhaps, the vigilante found something else they did not wish to divulge to law enforcement agents, something like a large sum of money? And the money triggered off the assumption that they were kidnappers? We believe that only a thorough and accurate investigation of the incident can tie up these loose ends.
We also believe that further reactions to the killing should stop. Inciteful statements that have the capacity to incite violent reprisals, especially at a time Nigeria is battling with multiple challenges threatening her survival, could heat up the polity.
Less than 24 hours ago, Kano State Police dispelled a rumour circulating on social media platforms alleging an attack on an 18-seater bus carrying Igbo passengers. Such rumours are not only dangerous but also capable of destroying the fragile peace in the country.
