…villagers who claimed to have been abducted in the past past came to the scene, and identified some of them as those that kidnapped them.”
Authorities are investigating the mob lynching of 16 men in Uromi, Edo State, after villagers claimed they were kidnappers previously involved in abductions and killings in the region.
The victims, said to be Hausa hunters en route to the North from Port Harcourt, were stopped in a trailer carrying palm kernel shells. A cache of arms and cash was reportedly found with them. Eyewitnesses said some kidnapped villagers identified their abductors among the suspects, sparking mob action.
“They use the weapons they carry to hunt and kill fellow human beings, not animals,” a local said.
Two survivors said they were licensed hunters from Kano, but locals questioned why they hid under tarpaulin and carried dogs. A woman recounted how her newborn was fed to dogs by herdsmen, further fuelling local rage.
Governor Monday Okpebholo has vowed to crack down on kidnapping and has ordered demolitions of properties linked to criminals under a new state law.
Police say investigations have been transferred to the FCID.