Nigerian lawmakers strongly condemned the killing of 16 travellers in Edo state during Tuesday’s Senate meeting. The Senate called the killings “a gross violation of human rights and a threat to national unity.”
Police reports show that on March 27, a mob in Uromi, Edo state, allegedly attacked and killed 16 hunters from northern Nigeria. These hunters were travelling from Rivers state when they were reportedly set on fire by people believed to be local vigilantes.
Most victims came from Kano state in northern Nigeria, creating tension between different regions of the country.
Senator Suleiman Kawu from Kano South brought the issue to the Senate floor, warning that such violence threatens Nigeria’s already fragile security situation.
“It is unacceptable that citizens are killed without recourse to law or justice. The right to life is sacrosanct,” Kawu told fellow lawmakers.
The Senate described these killings as showing a dangerous increase in lawlessness across the country.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin criticised the vigilantes for taking matters into their own hands instead of contacting the police.
“Rather than hand the travellers to the police for verification, they acted on assumptions and took the law into their own hands,” Jibrin said.
Jibrin explained that the victims were traditional hunters who travelled to hunt animals for sale. He praised Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo “for working with the police and all the security agencies to apprehend those who committed that heinous crime.”
Senator Rufai Hanga from Kano Central thanked Kano officials for preventing revenge attacks. “Without their swift intervention, we could have witnessed an avoidable ethnic crisis,” he said.
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After discussing the tragedy, the Senate held a minute of silence for the victims. They promised to support Edo state’s investigation and called for compensation for the victims’ families.
The Senate also demanded new laws to control vigilante groups nationwide. They said better rules would help identify and monitor these groups, especially when they travel between states.
“The lack of regulation has created room for abuse and mistaken identity, leading to tragedies like this,” the Senate stated in its official resolution.
Lawmakers believe proper oversight would help prevent similar incidents and rebuild public trust in community security efforts.
Governor Okpebholo announced on April 10 that both federal and state governments have formed a committee to investigate the killings.
“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 said through his spokesperson, Fred Itua.
