Monday, March 31, 2025 - The truck driver who survived the lynching of 16 travellers of Kano State extraction, by a vigilante group in Uromi, Edo State, has recounted the harrowing experience, refuting claims that the incident was tribal-related.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday when the
travellers, believed to be hunters, were journeying from Port Harcourt, Rivers
State, to Kano for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
The truck driver, whose name was not revealed in a viral
video circulating online, stated that he was transporting Dangote Group’s goods
to Obajana in Kogi State when he encountered the hunters at Elele, seeking a
ride 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 stopped by a vigilante group. The leader of
the vigilante allegedly questioned the driver about his cargo and the identity
of his passengers. Despite presenting the waybill for the goods, the vigilante
commander reportedly expressed suspicion about the hunters, particularly due to
their weapons and dogs aboard 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,” the driver narrated. “The
commander told the crowd that we were kidnappers and Boko Haram, and they
started beating us mercilessly.”
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. The vigilante informed the
police that they had captured suspected kidnappers, leading to their immediate
detention.
“By the time
he went back to the scene, the mob had already killed 16 people,” the driver
revealed, his voice filled with anguish.
He, however, categorically dismissed suggestions that the
incident was a tribal clash.
“This was
not a tribal clash. The vigilante are solely responsible for this attack. They
are the ones that caused our people to be murdered in cold blood,” he
emphasised.
The tragic event has drawn widespread condemnation
nationwide, with calls for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators
to justice.
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