Communities around Old Ilushi Road, Opere, and Good Will Junction in Uromi, Edo State, have been deserted by residents for fear of reprisals and arrests by security agents, following the lynching of 16 travellers by a mob in the area last Thursday.
This came as Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State yesterday in Kano State, assured that justice will prevail for those killed in the mob attack.
He also visited the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), where he said the 14 suspects so far arrested in connection with the killings, would soon be moved to Abuja for further interrogation.
This is even as the Arewa Consultative Forum, AFC, called for an independent judicial panel to investigate the killings.
It was gathered that residents of Uromi and environs have also stopped going to their farms, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring towns.
Some residents who spoke with Vanguard shared circumstances that led to the mob action.
A resident who simply gave his name as Monday, said: “The vigilante group received information from areas on the stretch of Old Ilushi road, from where the travellers were coming, that they had weapons in their vehicle.
‘’When they arrived in Uromi, the vigilantes asked them to step down, but the travellers refused, leading to an altercation. One of them pulled out a knife, prompting the vigilantes to raise alarm, accusing them of being kidnappers.
“Nobody justified the action. However, those who took part in the mob action have fled, while innocent individuals have been arrested.
‘’On Saturday, the police arrested a young man riding a GLK motorcycle near Opere Secondary School, where a wedding ceremony was taking place. The man claimed he was unaware of the previous day’s events.
“The area remains deserted, with few motorbikes passing through. However, at around 12 noon on Monday (yesterday), police returned to arrest more people. The community has been plagued by incessant kidnappings, carried out by hunters and herders from the northern part of the country.
‘’In the latest incident, a young lady was kidnapped in front of her gate on Sunday, March 30, 2025. Her captors had yet to call for ransom as of 2 pm today (yesterday).’’
It was also learnt that some residents, especially youths, have been quietly leaving the town for fear of reprisal and arrests by security agents.
Most of the residents who spoke to Vanguard on grounds of anonymity, said though not justifying the killings, the victims were suspected kidnappers and not hunters as presented to the public.
They explained that the victims were sighted near Ubiaja, headquarters of Esan South-East, which is close to Uromi.
Ubiaja is also suffering the same menace of kidnapping and it is where the victims were said to have entered a truck with their arms and cash.
Another resident, who identified himself simply as Mr Akhere, said: “In as much as we are not justifying the killings, because two wrongs don’t make a right, these people are not hunters as claimed because the hunters we have seen also go with dogs.
“Our local vigilantes have been on the trail of these suspected kidnappers. It has been tough for everybody, so on the fateful day, these people were sighted near Ubiaja where they flagged down a truck coming from the east and they entered with their guns and luggage believed to include huge sums of money.
“I think where the vigilantes in Uromi that stopped them missed it was not handing them over to the police, instead of resorting to self-help and you know many of the people who were around have been victims of kidnappings directly and indirectly in the area.
‘’Yes, we condemn the illegal actions but government has also been slow in taking action against these kidnappers. They have been killing, maiming our people and raping our women in the farms.”
Yet another resident, who introduced himself as Peter, said his cousin “has been actively involved in securing the town but noted that on this particular day, he was not around.
‘’He came into town after the incident but when he saw the way people were being arrested, he had to flee because he would have been arrested.
‘’Some other people have also left town because of fear that there could be reprisals, like we heard that earlier today (yesterday) there was panic in Ekpoma.”
It was also learnt that there was commotion in Ekpoma Market earlier yesterday, as information filtered in that the Fulani were planning to invade the town, which is not too far from Uromi.
Motorists were said to have made U-turns when the rumour came that the market was about to be attacked.
It was, however, gathered that security personnel were immediately mobilised to the area to restore normalcy.
On what had been her experience in the hands of kidnappers in the area, Jenny Osajie, 30, said her elder brother was kidnapped on his way to the farm and killed when they could not raise a ransom of N5million.
She said: “They were so bold that they called us to come and pick the dead body of our brother and we actually saw the dead body in the place they described for us. I am a Christian and I have committed everything to God but there is anger everywhere because of what these people have been doing.
‘’Why has the government not acted this way since we have been crying of the activities of herdsmen and kidnappers that have been terrorising us? Is the government biased?” – Vanguard.
