Every normal human being would condemn extra-judicial killing at any given time. Those that are empowered by the Nigerian Constitution to secure lives and properties, even when investigating crimes and suspected criminals, are never authorised by any law of the land to kill until a court of competent jurisdiction so pronounces.
It is based on this fact of the sanctity of life that the hacking to death of Sixteen Nigerians at Uromi, in Edo State, South/South Nigeria a few days ago was most unfortunate
We have been told that these 16 people were, in the first instance, Nigerians, precisely of Northern Nigerian extraction, and now identified as from Kano – a Nigerian State. They are most likely to be of the Fulani extraction. Really, the tribe they belong does not matter much. They are human beings, and Nigerians.
In addition, we have been told that they were [I used the word “were” because they are now dead] hunters – that carried out their hunting expenditure in Rivers State – another Nigerian State and returning back home – from Rivers State to Kano State, for the Sallah festival.
Then along the line of their returning back from their legitimate and legal place of operations, they met their waterloo, somewhere at Uromi, where some people; members of the Edo State Government’s constituted Vigilante Group, on stopping the vehicle conveying the hunters, for the usual routine search, disagreed with the identity they – the hunters, presented to the Vigilante Group.
It was at the process of identification debacle that misunderstanding, and maybe hot exchange of arguments led to fracas that eventually to the deaths of the unfortunate Sixteen out of the Twenty hunters that were on the voyage home for celebration. And the manner of the death itself was cruel and barbaric, as the 16 were reported to have been lynched.
And a type of hell – that is looking more destructive than the Tsunami of December 26, 2004, had broken loose since then. This writer’s fear, ditto many Nigerians, is that while the Tsunami of 2004, killed at least 250,000 people within the areas of Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand, the Nigerian Hunter’s story, if not properly handled, might consume millions.
Where do we go from here? Or, more succinctly, how can we avert the looming holocaust?
Permit me to submit that the trajectory of the narration of this sad voyage should be re-properly navigated. And this should be done within fabrics of sanitised wisdom – the type of wisdom that would travel with two good companions, knowledge and understanding.
I depose that there are few questions we need to find cogent answers to – even if that will make us to play the devil’s advocate here. This is necessary because I am of the opinion that there are some crucial missing links here. Let us identify those missing links, as they might just be the SOLUTION needed to avoid the incoming Tsunami. Ipso facto, let us ask this first major question.
What if they are not hunters?
This is the most difficult question that can bring to the open the mysterious missing key to unlock this puzzle. We shall therefore call on Security Agencies to disband the Military’s mentality of “destroying first before asking question”. This is necessary because we have seen it over and over – at Zaki Biam of Benue State, in October of 2001, Odi in Bayelsa State and of recently, the Okuoma Community in Delta State.
Have our Security Agencies, in a properly grilled investigation functions, been able to ascertain that these hunters were really in Rivers State for the past one year and were there as hunters? Such investigations would have facts of their movements, their places of abode in Rivers State [not living in some forests], their neighbours’ testimony [in the city or the village they were domiciled while the hunting venture lasted and a few more questions.
Our Security Agencies should be able to tell Nigerians also the types of Licence they – the hunters, procured for those so-called “Dane guns”, because if the truth is to be told, Dane gun kills as automatic rifle kills.
Yet there is more to be done.
Isn’t it suspicious that hunters in Kano State, would make a decision of hunting adventure, and choose Rivers State for the actualisation, considering the distance, and more importantly, when they are not going for fishing adventure? Do fishermen go fishing with guns, or with hooks, spears [for sharks] and nets? Is the narration on this outlet not nebulous and curious.
Why did these hunters choose the route of Uromi/Ubiajia to travel to Kano when there are alternative routes which are shorter. Permit me to give an example here, please.
The alternative route, which is longer than the Abia-through-Enugu route, is Port Harcourt → Delta → Edo → Kogi → Abuja → Kaduna → Kano through the A2 highway. This route does not pass through Uromi. Why?
- Uromi is in Esan North-East LGA of Edo State, which is off the main A2 highway.
- The A2 highway passes through Benin City (Edo State capital) and continues toward Auchi, then into Kogi State (Lokoja).
- Uromi is farther east, near the Benin–Ekpoma–Agbor Road, not directly along the A2 highway. For someone to pass through Uromi, they would need to deviate from the A2 highway, which would add unnecessary travel time and distance.
So, this writer asks the question again, what were they looking for on Uromi Road? Permit me again, to introduce another route these gentlemen hunters would have passed.
Yes, it’s possible to travel by road from Rivers State to Kano State without passing through Delta and Edo States, by taking a route that goes through Bayelsa, Imo, and then through the states of the North-East.
Here is a more detailed route:
Start: Rivers State (e.g., Port Harcourt)
Go through: Bayelsa State
Continue through: Imo State
Then through: Anambra State
Then through: Kogi State
Then through: Bauchi State
Then through: Jigawa State
Finally arrive in: Kano State
Let me stop this intervention here, for now at least. This is not to say that I have brought out the totality of the missing link in its fullest.
No, but there is need for a break so that the story might not be too long for my readers – as that could bring in boredom. So, let us be on recess, or we can call it coffee break, for just Seventy-Two hours.
In the second and final part of this intervention, we shall be looking at other missing links of these 20 hunters and the route they chose to pass which shouldn’t have been, if . . .
Also, as of most important point we need, and even, must direct our searchlight on, would remain the prevailing situations around the Uromi environment many mouths before the down of Armageddon.
Just a teaser:
A few days before the doomsday of March 27, 2025, a kidnap operation was carried out, allegedly, by Fulani herders, within the Uromi Community. The victims were a man and his pregnant wife – the woman/wife was in labour pain, and both were on their way to a local village maternity – and this was at midnight, when the kidnappers got them.
The obvious labour condition of the woman did not appeal to the conscience [do they really have conscience?] of the wicked kidnappers. Both husband and wife were marched into the forest. And while they were on the march, delivery happened. Inside the forest. And what next?
These alleged Fulani kidnappers fed the newly born child to their dogs while the mother and father of the baby were looking. Could there be any calamity larger than that on the earth.
Above is just a teaser amongst too many things that played out, within the hostile visibility of an endangered community of Uromi before the Doomsday – this and more are coming your way after this break!