{"id":6745,"date":"2025-03-30T12:20:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T12:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/psmnigeria.org\/?p=6745"},"modified":"2025-03-30T12:22:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T12:22:30","slug":"nba-atiku-obi-others-react-to-lynching-of-16-hunters-in-edo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psmnigeria.org\/?p=6745","title":{"rendered":"NBA, Atiku, Obi, others react to lynching of 16 hunters in Edo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and some prominent Nigerians, including former presidential candidates \u2013 Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi \u2013 have condemned the lynching of 16 hunters in Uromi, Edo State, after they were allegedly mistaken for kidnappers by local vigilantes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NBA president Afam Osigwe stated in a statement on Saturday that \u201cthe gruesome murder of the hunters shows the alarming rise of vigilante justice across Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added, \u201cIt is deeply troubling that mobs continue to take the law into their hands, attacking and lynching suspected criminals, often without the intervention of law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo individual, regardless of the crime they are alleged to have committed, should be subjected to mob violence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/th><\/a><\/th><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The victims, said to be hunters travelling from Rivers State to Kano State for Sallah, were allegedly attacked by vigilante members and armed youths who stopped their truck, dragged them out one by one, beat them, and then set them ablaze after being labelled as kidnappers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday on the section of the Uromi\/Obajana Expressway in the Esan North-East local Government Area of Edo State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nigerian police announced<\/a> <\/strong>Friday that they had arrested about 14 suspects in connection with the alleged lynching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calls for investigation, prosecution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Condemning the lynching, NBA said every accused person has the right to be investigated and, where necessary, prosecuted in a court of law. \u201cAllowing mob actions to persist undermines the very foundation of our criminal justice system and portrays Nigeria as a society where lawlessness prevails.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the tragic incident must serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria\u2019s law enforcement agencies to ensure that no such crime goes unpunished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJustice must be served, and perpetrators of mob violence must be held accountable to deter future occurrences,\u201d the NBA statement stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The umbrella body of all Nigerian lawyers called on the Edo State Government and relevant security agencies \u201cto conduct a thorough investigation into this heinous act and ensure that the culprits are brought to face the full wrath of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVigilante justice has no place in a society governed by the rule of law,\u201d it added<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, human rights-focussed nonprofit organisation, the Global Rights, called on security agencies to conduct a full-scale investigation and ensure that both the perpetrators and those who aided them are brought to justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation, through a statement by its Executive Director, Abiodun Baiyewu, on Saturday, described the incident as a grave violation of human rights and the rule of law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese individuals were tragically mistaken for kidnappers, and rather than following due process, vigilantes unlawfully took the law into their own hands, resulting in the extrajudicial killing of innocent people,\u201d Mrs Baiyewu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She emphasised that the Nigerian constitution guarantees the right to life under Section 33(1), which states that \u201cevery person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of a court sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe unlawful targeting of individuals based on suspicion, ethnicity, or way of life is a dangerous trend that violates constitutional rights and fuels insecurity,\u201d She added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While acknowledging the frustrations of citizens due to the government\u2019s failure to curb banditry and kidnapping, she stressed that vigilante justice is unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obi, Atiku react<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Labour Party\u2019s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Obi, on Friday condemned the killings, describing them as a threat to national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuch killings have become a recurring tragedy in our decaying society. Acts of violence like these are abhorrent and had no place in our society yesterday, just as they should have no place in any decent society today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery Nigerian, regardless of ethnic or regional background, has the right to move freely and safely within our nation.,\u201d Mr Obi wrote on X<\/a><\/strong> (formerly Twitter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, also called<\/a> <\/strong>for justice on his Facebook page on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis unfortunate incident demands a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done to restore public confidence in our security institutions,\u201d Mr Abubakar stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungle justice remains a deeply rooted issue in Nigeria, often driven by distrust in law enforcement, religious tensions, and mob mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amnesty International and other prominent Nigerians, including former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have condemned the tragedy<\/a><\/strong>, with President Bola Tinubu ordering security operatives to launch an immediate investigation into the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not an isolated case. Over the years,<\/a><\/strong> mob killings have claimed numerous lives, often fueled by religious and ethnic divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest incident in Uromi, where a vigilante group intercepted a truck carrying 25 travelers and accused them of being kidnappers, is a grim reminder of the dangers of extrajudicial violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Amnesty International, between 2012 and 2023, at least 555 cases of mob violence resulted in 57 recorded deaths, including victims who were burned or buried alive. The absence of swift legal action against perpetrators has emboldened further acts of jungle justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and some prominent Nigerians, including former presidential candidates \u2013 Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi \u2013 have condemned the lynching of 16 hunters in Uromi, Edo…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pages"],"yoast_head":"\nNBA, Atiku, Obi, others react to lynching of 16 hunters in Edo -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/psmnigeria.org\/?p=6745\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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