The air was thick with smoke, and the smell of burning flesh was noticeable. In Udune Efandion, a community in Uromi, Edo State, an enraged mob, many fueled by misinformation and deep-seated prejudices, had taken justice into its own hands.
On Thursday, March 27, 2025, 27 travellers, primarily Hausa hunters travelling from Rivers State to Kano for the Sallah festivities, were intercepted by local vigilantes and accused of being kidnappers.
The events that followed were a gruesome spectacle of jungle justice describing how easily a community can be gripped by bloodlust when law and order fail.
Video evidence of the lynching, widely circulated on social media, captured the sheer brutality of the attack. In one clip, three men lay sprawled on the ground, appearing lifeless, with a car tyre placed over one of them. Another, his clothes drenched in blood, was kicked toward the others, barely able to breathe.
Also, more victims were seen in pools of blood, their bodies twisted in unnatural positions. A man in a jean jacket and blue shorts was relentlessly beaten with a stick. A woman’s voice pierced through the chaos, screaming, “Die, die.”
Elsewhere in the footage, a man in yellow clothes was dragged out from under a gutter and struck on the head with a wooden object.
Then came the fire – car tyres were stacked upon the victims, and within moments, smoke and flames engulfed them. Even as the men burned, they were beaten with no mercy.
In yet another video, a man who had already been burned lay motionless, his charred body barely recognizable. A wheelbarrow was used to dump another victim into the fire. Still alive, he screamed, “Help me,” but was met with mocking laughter from onlookers.
WikkiTimes had earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have condemned the brutal killings, calling for a transparent investigation and swift justice to address the barbaric mob violence that claimed the lives of mostly Hausa hunters.
How It Started: A Survivor’s Tale
For Mustapha Ali Kaseem, one of the 11 survivors, they left Port Harcourt with other fellow hunters, never imagining that their journey home would turn into a nightmare. They planned to return to the North for the Sallah celebration after a successful hunting expedition. But fate had other plans.
Their truck rumbled through Edo State, passing through the town of Uromi when they encountered a local vigilante group. The men ordered them off the vehicle, their expressions dark with suspicion. Before Kaseem and his companions could explain their mission, the vigilantes descended on them, raining blows with sticks and machetes. The attack soon spiraled out of control.
“They pulled us down from the truck and started beating us mercilessly,” a Katsina State-based Kaseem recalls in a video clip. “Then, the vigilantes stepped aside, and the local people took over. They didn’t ask who we were or what we had come for. They just kept beating us.”
Kaseem, managed to slip away in the chaos. He ran through the unfamiliar town, his only goal being survival. “I was fortunate to meet some Hausa brothers who gave me some money to reach Sarkin Hausawa,” he recounts.
The hunters, he insists, were not criminals. “We had only our hunting materials – our local Dane guns, our dogs, and armlets,” he added. These were tools of their trade, not weapons of war.
Some of his companions were not as lucky as he was – the mob set their victims on fire. The gruesome act was recorded and circulated online, fueling outrage and deepening the growing mistrust between North and South, particularly Edo State indigenes.
By the time police and other security forces arrived, the damage had been done. Among the 27 travellers, only 11 survived with injuries. They were rushed to His Grace Hospital in Uromi, while authorities began the slow process of identifying the charred remains of the deceased.
National Outrage and Calls for Justice
The killings sent shockwaves across Nigeria, drawing condemnation from political leaders, activists, and human rights organizations.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in an X (formerly Twitter) post described the incident as “a tragic and senseless act” and demanded a thorough investigation.
“The protection of innocent lives must remain paramount,” Atiku stated. “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done to restore public confidence in our security institutions.”
Similarly, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State, called the act a “harrowing display of mob injustice.” He urged security agencies to ensure that those responsible were held accountable.
Activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore condemned the attack as an act of “profiling and extrajudicial execution,” adding that the failure of police officers to intervene amounted to negligence.
“This is inhumane,” Sowore stated. “There is no sane society that should tolerate this bestiality.”
Northern Govs, Amnesty International Demand Action
The Northern Governors Forum (NSGF) decried the killings as an “assault on the rule of law” and urged a swift response from security agencies.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, chairman of the forum, emphasized that Nigerians must be able to travel freely without fear of persecution.
Amnesty International also weighed in, demanding an immediate and transparent investigation. The rights group highlighted the growing trend of vigilante groups blocking highways and executing travelers without trial.
“The horrific mob violence in Uromi is part of a rising pattern of unlawful actions by local vigilantes,” Amnesty International said in a statement. “There was no police intervention as these innocent men were tortured and killed.”
Arrests Made, But Is It Enough?
President Bola Tinubu and Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo condemned the killings, with Tinubu directing security agencies to track down those responsible.
“Jungle justice has no place in Nigeria,” his statement by his Bayo Ononuga read in part. “All Nigerians have the freedom to move freely in any part of the country.”
Governor Okpebholo vowed that those responsible would not go unpunished. “I can assure you that the people involved in this attack will not go scot-free,” he stated, confirming that four suspects had been arrested.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command later announced the arrest of 14 suspects. A police statement confirmed that the victims were indeed hunters and not kidnappers, raising further questions about how easily lives can be destroyed by false accusations.
A Nation at Crossroads
Mob justice, fueled by insecurity and ethnic tensions, is becoming a norm in parts of Nigeria. The country has witnessed a rise in extrajudicial killings.
The lack of trust in law enforcement, coupled with the failure of the justice system to swiftly prosecute criminals, has emboldened mobs to take matters into their own hands.
But where does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before real change happens?
A Test for Nigeria’s Legal System
The families of the deceased are left with nothing but grief and unanswered questions. Who will be held accountable for the brutal murder of their loved ones?
Will the legal system rise to the occasion and ensure justice is served, or will this, like many past cases, fade into obscurity?
Observers argue that beyond arrests, there must be structural reforms. Law enforcement agencies must be proactive in intelligence gathering, and communities must be educated on the dangers of mob violence.
The federal government must also take firm action against vigilante groups acting outside the law.
They maintained that the recent Edo jungle justice was a wake-up call and a reminder that without justice, there can be no peace, stressing that the 16 travellers burned alive in Uromi deserve more than just condolences; they deserve accountability.
