posted 1st April 2025
Mob Lynching of 16 Fulani Hunters in Edo State Sparks Outrage and Hypocrisy Debate
Uromi, Edo State – 1 April 2025
A gruesome incident in Uromi, Edo State, has ignited a firestorm of controversy after 16 Fulani hunters were brutally lynched and burnt alive by a mob on 28 March 2025. The victims, travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano for Eid celebrations, were intercepted by local vigilantes who suspected them of being terrorists due to the presence of hunting rifles in their possession. What began as a routine stop escalated into a horrifying act of mob violence, with the hunters accused of affiliations with Boko Haram or banditry—claims that have since been widely disputed.
The killings have drawn sharp condemnation from Northern Nigerian leaders, prompting Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to visit Kano State in an effort to quell tensions and prevent reprisals. Yet, this wave of outrage has exposed a stark double standard, as critics point to the deafening silence from these same voices when violence perpetrated by Northerners ravages other parts of the country. Adding fuel to the fire, many in Uromi are now asking why Governor Okpebholo has not visited their community to address their long-standing cries about Fulani terrorists disrupting their lives, yet found time to travel to Kano following this incident.
Reports indicate that the hunters, primarily of Hausa-Fulani descent, were stopped around 1:30 pm by members of the Edo State Security Corps and local vigilantes. Upon discovering their dane guns—traditional hunting tools common in Northern Nigeria—the vigilantes raised an alarm, inciting a frenzied mob to attack. The victims were tied to tyres, doused in petrol, and set ablaze, with videos of the atrocity circulating widely online. Four survivors were rescued and are receiving medical treatment, while 14 suspects have been arrested, according to the Edo State Police Command.
Northern leaders, including members of the Northern Governors Forum, have decried the killings as a “gross violation of human rights” and demanded swift justice. However, this vocal indignation has sparked accusations of selective outrage. Observers note that these same leaders have remained conspicuously silent when Fulani herdsmen destroy southern farmers’ crops by grazing cattle on their land, or when Boko Haram and its affiliates wreak havoc across Northern Nigeria, kidnapping and killing thousands over the past decade.
Perhaps most glaring is the muted response to the 2022 lynching of Deborah Yakubu, a Christian student in Sokoto, who was murdered by a Muslim mob over alleged blasphemy. At the time, Northern leaders offered little condemnation, a silence many attribute to religious solidarity. “Why the uproar now?” asked Daniel Regha, a prominent commentator. “Murder is murder, whether it’s Deborah in Sokoto or these hunters in Uromi. The hypocrisy is glaring.”
In Uromi, resentment is growing over what locals perceive as neglect by their own governor. “For years, we’ve begged for help against Fulani terrorists attacking our farms and villages,” said Eseosa Ighodaro, a community leader. “Governor Okpebholo never came. But when Fulani hunters are killed here, he runs to Kano to plead. Where was he when we cried out?” The governor’s swift trip to Kano has only deepened this sense of abandonment among his constituents.
The Uromi killings have laid bare a troubling pattern: Northern outrage appears to surge only when their own are targeted by non-Muslims. For years, Boko Haram has terrorised Northern communities, abducting schoolgirls and slaughtering villagers, yet the response has often been tepid compared to the current outcry. Analysts suggest this disparity stems from ethnic and religious divides. “When Hausas were killed in Uromi by non-Muslims, it became a rallying cry,” said a local journalist. “But when the killers are fellow Muslims or Northerners, the silence is deafening.”
Governor Okpebholo’s visit to Kano aimed to assure Northern leaders that justice would be served, with President Bola Tinubu also ordering a thorough investigation. The Ojuromi of Uromi, Anselm Aidenojie II, joined the governor at the burial of the victims on 29 March, condemning the act and vowing it would not recur. Yet, as tensions simmer, the incident has reignited calls for an end to mob justice and a reckoning with Nigeria’s fractured social fabric.
Critics argue that the selective outrage—both from Northern leaders and, now, within Edo State—undermines national unity. “If Northern leaders truly want justice, they must condemn violence consistently—whether it’s against Christians in Sokoto or farmers in the South,” Regha added. “And if our governor cares about peace, he should listen to his own people first.” As Nigeria grapples with its latest tragedy, the unanswered questions linger: why do some lives seem to matter more than others, and why does leadership respond only when the stakes shift?
