The truck driver who survived the lynching of over 16 travellers of Kano State extraction in a savage attack at Undune Efandion, a community in Uromi, Edo State has narrated his horrifying and traumatic experience.
The blood cuddling incident happened on Thursday when the travellers, believed to be hunters, were journeying from Elele in Rivers State, to Kano for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
The truck driver, whose name was not disclosed in an online trending video, stated that he was transporting Dangote Group’s goods to Obajana in Kogi State when he encountered the hunters at Elele, seeking hik – hike to the northern part of the country.
“I initially refused to give them a ride because it was against my company’s policy. But after driving for about two kilometres, I felt guilty for abandoning them. After all, they are my fellow Northerners from Kano State, so I went back and picked them up,” the driver said.
According to him, the journey was peaceful until they arrived at Uromi, where they were fanned down by a vigilante group. The leader of the vigilante allegedly questioned the driver about his goods, passengers and the identities.
He said despite presenting the waybill for the goods, the vigilante commander reportedly expressed suspicion about the hunters, particularly after they had seen their weapons and dogs in the truck.
“He said he (Vigilante Leader) didn’t trust them and demanded they come down. As soon as the crowd saw their guns and dogs, they attacked us,” he said.
According to LIB, the driver, alongside two others identified as Haruna, an older man, and a younger man, were reportedly handcuffed by the vigilante commander and taken to a nearby police station, where the vigilante team informed the police that they had captured suspected kidnappers, leading to their immediate detention.
And a deadly dimension crept in afterwards.
•Hunter’s believed to be the victims
“The commander told the crowd that we were kidnappers and Boko Haram, and they started beating us mercilessly.They smashed my windscreen and side glass and started beating and stoning us. The vigilante commander handcuffed me and two others, took us to the police station, and then ordered his men to beat the rest.
“By the time he went back to the scene, the mob had already killed 16 people,” the driver revealed in anguish – filled voice.
He, however, emphatically dismissed insinuations that the incident was a tribal clash.
“This was not a tribal clash,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has suspended the Commander of the Security Corps, Friday Ibadin, a retired Commissioner of Police.
Okpebholo also ordered the suspension of illegal vigilante groups, following the review of the preliminary report on the killing of 16 itinerant hunters at Uromi, the headquarters of Esan Northeast Local Government Area.
The Secretary to Government, Umar Ikhilor, a lawyer, said in a statement that lawlessness would not be permitted under the guise of maintaining security.
The killings sparked uproar in the state and condemnations from across the country.
Among those who condemned the mob action was the Chief of Defence Staff, Gem Christopher Musa and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Ikhilor expressed that the local vigilante group that kìlled the hunters was not registered.
He said: “It is to be reiterated that the local vigilance group involved in the gruesome killing of 27th March, 2025 was operating illegally, as it was never profiled or registered with Edo State Security Corps.
“Its actions do not reflect the core values, character and principles of the Okpebholo administration, or the objectives of the corps, as enshrined in the Edo State Security Corps Governance Law.
“Investigations into the killings are ongoing, and fourteen persons have been arrested so far, while there is an intense manhunt for others involved in the gruesome killing by a special team set up by the Inspector-General of Police.
“The Government of Edo State reiterates its belief in the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of citizens to move freely or engage in lawful businesses in any part of the country.”
Ikhilor disclosed that the state government was in touch with families of the victims, community leaders, and the government of Kano State, where the deceased hailed from.
He urged calm, assuring that the state government will ensure that justice is done in a most efficient, transparent, and proactive manner.
However, Kano State Government has dispatched a delegation to engage with the Edo Government and the Hausa community over the killings.
Yusuf, in a broadcast, condemned the barbaric act, saying that his administration would relentlessly pursue justice for the victims.
The delegation, he said, “will work to ensure justice is served and those responsible are held accountable.”
