Nigerians, from across the six geopolitical regions have the notoriety of carrying out jungle justice against perceived enemies. This unfortunate behaviour has over the years led to the killing of many people, many of them, victims of miscarriage of justice.
The most recent of such is the killing in Uromi community of Esan North Local Government of Edo State of 16 northern travellers by members of the vigilante group in the area, on the suspicion of being members of a kidnap gang.
The victims, who were travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano for the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, were mistaken for kidnappers due to the dane guns and other hunting tools they carried and were subsequently lynched.
Many groups and individuals have come out to speak against the extrajudicial killing, which nearly took inter-regional dimension, and aggravated the fragile relationship between the north and south of the country.
This singular act is capable of causing conflict of monumental proportion, arising from reprisal attacks and killing of innocent lives and destruction of properties worth millions, if not billions of Naira.
The act, which is a grievous violation of human rights, can be condemned by any right-thinking and sane individual. There is need to value and protect lives under the rule of law, whether north, south, Christian of Islam.
In reaction to the killings, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) said that the North has tolerated enough and will no longer condone such acts.
NEF made the position known through Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, spokesperson of the Forum.
“NEF received the shocking, sad, and deeply disturbing news of the barbaric, extra-judicial, and cowardly killing of innocent Northern hunters who were returning home to celebrate the end of Ramadan and Eid Kabir Sallah festival with their families in Uromi, Edo State. This heinous act is totally unacceptable, and we condemn it in the strongest terms.
“The North has tolerated numerous acts of recklessness from some Southern part of Nigeria in the past. This must come to an end.
“The arrest and trial of all individuals responsible for the attack and the brutal killings of the innocent travellers. The NEF demands a public prosecution of the perpetrators and those that aided the crime to ensure full transparency and accountability.
“The due payment of compensation to the families of the victims, in line with the prescribed standards of their respective faiths.
“An unreserved apology from the people and authorities of Edo State, with a commitment to ensuring that such barbaric behavior never occurs again. An unreserved apology from the Edo State Government to the North for this heinous attack on its people. The punishment of the perpetrators must be witnessed by the public to serve as a deterrent to any such future acts of violence,” the statement read.
NEF also demanded that the Edo State Government and the Federal Government take concrete and visible steps to fulfill these demands within fourteen (14) days from the date of the release, stressing that failure to do so will compel the North to take all necessary actions to seek justice for her people and the North.
It further called on the Federal Government to ensure that justice is served to the victims and their families to preserve peace, stability, and the peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians.
We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of these killed.
These tragedies inflict profound pain and could erode trust in our legal system, highlighting the urgent need for effective law enforcement and the upholding of the rule of law. The government must act decisively to address these failures and ensure justice is served.
Besides mere pronouncements, like resident Bola Ahmed Tinubu said, the Federal Government should conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of the 16 travellers and ensure the perpetrators face justice.
Leaders at all levels should henceforth consider it as part of their responsibility, the promotion of understanding among the diverse ethnic nationalities in the domains, as well as religious harmony, and reject mob actions.
To this end, we commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely intervention, which prevented the ugly incident from escalating.
Tinubu, in a statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga on Friday, said the president expressed shock at the dastardly act on Thursday, and had directed police and other security agencies to conduct swift and thorough investigations, and punish the suspected culprits.
“President Tinubu commiserated with the families of the affected victims and assured them that criminals would not be allowed to shed the blood of innocent Nigerians,” the statement wrote in part, adding that the President noted that jungle justice has no place in Nigeria.
Tinubu noted that all Nigerians have the freedom to move freely in any part of the country. President Tinubu then commended the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and community leaders in Uromi for their swift response to avert the escalation of tension.