Police, military and plainclothes security agents have taken over strategic junctions in Uromi, headquarters of Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State where 16 northern travellers were killed by a mob last Thursday.
The security agents were said to have been deployed to stave off reprisals as residents of the area are now worried over reprisals, reports Vanguard.
A visit to the area yesterday revealed that the residents are now worried about discussing the issue with strange faces, following the arrest of no fewer than 14 persons who were said to have been picked randomly for being in connection with the incident.
Most people in the area have continued to say that the activities of kidnappers, which have taken over the entire Edo Central senatorial district and borders around Edo North, might have triggered the action of those involved in the mob action, even though they also agreed that was no justification for them to take laws into their own hands.
FCID takes over investigation
Aside from deployment of policemen, military vehicles were also seen patrolling areas close to the highway and suspected hotspots in the town to monitor movement of people and enforce order.
The reported presence of plainclothes security agents in the town has also created more suspicion towards strange faces.
A commercial motorcyclist, who was having a very good conversation with this reporter, suddenly changed his narrative when asked what he knew about the incident.
He said: “I don’t work here, I work in Ekpoma. I only chose to work here today. I only heard of the incident when I came home.”
Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Moses Yamu, when contacted, said Force Headquarters had taken over the matter but noted that the command had deployed more men to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
“The Force Headquarters has taken over the investigation, so it is no longer in our hands. I cannot, therefore, say how far the investigation has gone. But our men are still on ground to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.”
Skeletal banking services likely
As work resumes today, it is not clear whether banks will open fully for commercial activities. Vanguard gathered that many banks carried out skeletal services last Friday, a day after the incident, especially when news filtered in that there could be reprisals.
A banker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “We have to watch as work resumes tomorrow (today) because last Friday, we had to shut our doors against customers early when information came that there could be reprisals.
‘’You know that once such a thing happens, public properties are always targets, so basically some banks just opened skeletally, some didn’t open at all.
“For tomorrow (today), we will still watch the situation and if there is any sign of violence, we will shut down but we will work with the various security agencies to know what is happening.
“Bankers have also been victims of these kidnappings. Last year, the Head of Operations of one the first generation banks in Igueben was kidnapped on his way from Igueben to Uromi where he lived. He was kidnapped and died in the process, it was a huge setback to the bank, so one could understand what happened that day but regardless of what is happening, jungle justice cannot be justified.
‘’This kidnap was very painful, even when the corpse was eventually recovered, the mortuary rejected it because maggots were already coming out of his body. That is the situation this area has been in, including environs such as Ubiaja. So, that anger is there.
“A lot of kidnappings have been happening, some reported and many not reported. Even some of the victims are picked in their houses by the kidnappers. Many lives have been lost but regardless, jungle justice is not the answer. These are areas that used to be peaceful.”
Fears of reprisals still high
Despite efforts by Governor Monday Okpebholo to salvage the situation, with the suspension of the security chief in charge of vigilante, and his subsequent condolence visit to families of the victims and the government of Kano State, people in Uromi still nurse fears of reprisals.
More worrisome for them is the fact that they don’t know when and how the reprisals would happen. Consequently, the people are in panic mode.
Hope Osajie, a businesswoman along New Agbor Road, told our correspondent: “Our only fear now is the possible reprisals; we don’t know where they will strike from, whether from the north or from other areas.
‘’They may not want to go through major towns, they may just be attacking villages like Agbede in Etsako, Ewu. The security agencies need to do more to prevent this.”
They were not hunters
Another resident near Uromi market and motor park, insisted that the victims were not hunters as claimed.
He said: “A driver coming from the east saw them loading guns into a waiting truck. He ran and brought the information to the vigilante in Ubiaja.
‘’When they (vigilantes) tried to stop the truck, the driver almost knocked them down. The vigilantes used bike to follow them to know the route they will take and then informed the vigilante team in Uromi.
‘’They said the Uromi people used another truck to stop the truck and in the course of trying to search the vehicle, one of the occupants attacked one person with a jack knife and that is what caused the whole confusion.”
Though the residents were wary about talking to strangers about the incident, some, however, blamed the present security situation in the area of the government.
‘’The government has failed in its responsibility to protect us. People are afraid to go to the farm and you are not even sure they (kidnappers) won’t come to your house to pick you up. We cried, we protested but nobody came to our rescue. “So, what happened last Thursday was caused by the frustration of the people,’’ said a resident who identified himself as Idemudia.
Take decisive actions against jungle justice – Igbo community tells FG, others
Meanwhile, Igbo Community Association has called on government at all levels to take decisive action against jungle justice, emphasising that “every human life is precious and should be guarded and cherished.”
In a statement by the President General, Chief Chris Ubatu, the association condemned the Uromi killings, describing it as “tragic and senseless.”
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, and we strongly condemn the inhumane act. Every human life is precious and should be guarded and cherished.
‘’We, the Igbos in Kano, stand in solidarity with the families of the victims and the entire nation in condemning this act. And pray to God Almighty to grant their souls eternal rest and their families the fortitude to bear this great loss.”
The association commended the governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, for his prompt response to the issue and his continued efforts in ensuring the overall peace and security of Kano State. “We appreciate the governor’s commitment to ensuring peace and security in Kano State, and we urge him to continue his efforts in addressing the root causes of violence and promoting inter-tribal harmony.
“We caution against the spread of fake news. We urge government at all levels to take decisive actions to address jungle justice across the federation.’’
CSO asks FG to address rising wave of violence, insecurity
Also yesterday, a civil society organisation, CSO, under the aegis of Civil Society Organisation on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, CSCHEI, asked the federal government to take concrete steps to address the rising wave of violence and insecurity across the country.
The group also condemned the recent murder of 16 persons in Uromi, Edo State and called on the government to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the killings, identify and prosecute the perpetrators and provide adequate compensation and support to the families of the victims.
In a statement in Abuja, the Director-General of CSCHEI, Kunle Yusuff, said: “We, the Civil Society Organisation on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, CSCHEI, are deeply shocked and saddened by the gruesome killing of 16 Nigerians in Edo State.
“We commiserate with the victims’ families and the people of Kano State. No one deserves to lose his or her life in such a brutal manner. We pray the souls of the departed rest in peace.
“As civil society organisations, we condemn this heinous act in the strongest terms possible. We demand that the relevant authorities take immediate and decisive action to investigate this incident, apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
