Fear has gripped communities around Old Ilushi Road, Opere, and Good Will Junction in Uromi, Edo State, as residents abandon their homes following the mob lynching of 16 travelers last Thursday. Many fear reprisals and mass arrests by security forces in response to the killings.
Governor Monday Okpebholo, speaking from Kano State, assured that justice would be served for the victims of the attack. He also met with Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) and confirmed that the 14 suspects arrested so far would soon be transferred to Abuja for further questioning. Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for an independent judicial panel to investigate the incident.
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Reports indicate that Uromi residents have stopped going to their farms, with many seeking safety in nearby towns. Some locals, speaking to Vanguard, described the events leading to the mob action.
According to a resident named Monday, vigilante groups had received information that the travelers were carrying weapons in their vehicle. When they arrived in Uromi, the vigilantes attempted to stop them, but the travelers refused to comply. An argument ensued, during which one of the travelers reportedly brandished a knife. The vigilantes then raised an alarm, accusing them of being kidnappers, which led to the mob attack.
While no one has defended the killings, Monday noted that those directly involved have since fled, while innocent individuals have been arrested. He recounted an incident on Saturday when police detained a young man riding a GLK motorcycle near Opere Secondary School, where a wedding was taking place. The man reportedly claimed he was unaware of the previous day’s events.
The area remains largely deserted, with only a few motorcycles passing through. However, on Monday, police returned to arrest more people. Kidnappings have been a recurring issue in the community, with locals accusing hunters and herders from northern Nigeria of being responsible. In a recent case, a young woman was abducted outside her home on Sunday, March 30, 2025, and as of Monday afternoon, her captors had yet to demand a ransom.
Some residents, particularly young people, have quietly left the area to avoid possible retaliation or arrest. While many do not condone the mob killings, they insist that the victims were suspected kidnappers rather than hunters, as widely reported.
A resident from Ubiaja, the headquarters of Esan South-East—an area also plagued by kidnapping—explained that the victims were seen near the town before boarding a truck with weapons and large sums of cash. Another local, Mr. Akhere, stated: “We are not justifying the killings, because two wrongs don’t make a right, but these individuals were not hunters. The hunters we know always travel with dogs.”
He added that the community vigilantes had been tracking the suspected kidnappers for some time. “On that day, they were spotted near Ubiaja, where they stopped a truck traveling from the east and boarded it with guns and luggage, believed to contain large amounts of money. The mistake the Uromi vigilantes made was not handing them over to the police. Instead, they took matters into their own hands. Many of those involved in the mob action have either been victims of kidnappings themselves or know someone who has,” he explained.
