By Deji Lambo
Sixteen travellers have reportedly been killed and burnt to death by an angry mob who descended on them over allegations of kidnapping in the Udune Efandion community, Uromi, Edo State.
As gathered, the travellers, who were described as hunters, boarded the truck in Port Harcourt and were said to be on their way to Kano State for the Sallah festivities when members of the Edo State Security Corps and local vigilantes intercepted them.
Following the interception, the security personnel, upon sighting the guns said to be used for hunting by the travellers, raised the alarm which fuelled the accusations that the travellers were kidnappers.
The alarm reportedly caught the attention of people in the area and they, instead of contacting the police, attacked the travellers on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
Videos of the mob action had been trending online with the youths in the area captured beating the travellers and allegedly setting them ablaze in public.
In one of the videos, the victims were seen being beaten with sticks and pelted with stones after which disused tyres were used in setting them ablaze alongside the truck conveying them to their destinations in Kano.
It was learnt that the Edo State Police Command had intervened and policemen were said to be tracking down the perpetrators of the crime against the travellers.
Contacted for an updated reaction on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, responded to the call but urged this reporter to send him a message for an official reaction.
He had yet to respond to the message as of the time this reporter was filed.
Discussion about this post