The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has expressed outrage over the killing of northern hunters in Uromi, Edo State, declaring that the North “has tolerated enough and will no longer condone such attacks.”
In a statement on Saturday, NEF spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere described the incident as “shocking, sad, and deeply disturbing.”
He said, “NEF received the shocking, sad, and deeply disturbing news of the barbaric, extra-judicial, and cowardly killing of innocent Northern hunters who were returning home to celebrate the end of Ramadan and Eid Kabir Sallah festival with their families in Uromi, Edo State.
“This heinous act is totally unacceptable, and we condemn it in the strongest terms.”
Jiddere stated that the North had endured multiple acts of violence from some southern regions in the past, but such incidents “must come to an end.”
He demanded immediate action, including “the arrest and trial of all individuals responsible for the attack and the brutal killings of the innocent travellers.”
The NEF also called for “a public prosecution of the perpetrators and those that aided the crime to ensure full transparency and accountability.”
Additionally, the forum demanded “the due payment of compensation to the families of the victims, in line with the prescribed standards of their respective faiths.”
Furthermore, NEF insisted on “an unreserved apology from the people and authorities of Edo State, with a commitment to ensuring that such barbaric behaviour never occurs again.
“An unreserved apology from the Edo State Government to the North for this heinous attack on its people. The punishment of the perpetrators must be witnessed by the public to serve as a deterrent to any such future acts of violence.”
The forum gave the Edo State Government and the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to meet the demands.
“Failure to do so will compel the North to take all necessary actions to seek justice for her people and the North,” the statement warned.
The NEF also urged the Nigerian government to ensure that justice is served to the victims and their families, emphasising that this is essential for maintaining peace, stability, and national unity
Sahara Reporters
