EDO KILLINGS: The Cycle of Violence

For many years now, we can agree that Nigeria has been a den of crime perpetrators with little or no justice for victims. Killings have occurred through different ways, including ritualism, armed robberies and mob violence. The most alarming killings that have been recorded in Nigeria were caused by extreme religious differences. While these crimes exist in all parts of the country, the North remains the state that has recorded the highest killings on religious basis. From the times when insurgency rained  and Northern people were terrorised by Boko haram, to ISWAP's (Islamic States West Africa Province) allegiance to ISIS (Islamic State). In general, both parties’ attempt at establishing an Islamic State in Nigeria, and consequently various killings of non-Muslims of those they tagged as ‘Infidels’.

While the rate at which bombings, invasions, attacks occurred from 2016 upwards have decreased since a couple of years ago, there is still news of attacks and killings in the North. We cannot overlook the Fulani- herdsmen saga as well. Nigerians have suffered brutal killings from Fulani-herdsmen who doubled as bandits, leading their cows into private farmlands, destroying the lands and killing the owners or whoever tried to stop them. They did not only perpetrate these crimes in the north, they have also infiltrated some parts in the South-south, the East and even the West 

In some way, non-northerners dread the thought of going to the north because of the rate at which killings have occurred and they have held the ideology that Hausas and Fulanis are bandits and crime perpetrators. Who can blame them?

Recently, another mob killing occurred, however not in the North this time around, instead, in the South-southern part of the country, Edo state. The killing situation  involved a group of vigilantes who stopped a truck containing some Fulani men on their way to the North for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. 

In what turned into a mob attack by the local vigilante group and residents of Udune Efandion in Edo State, on Friday 28th march, 2025, about 16 of the travellers were killed. The victims, who claimed they were hunters,were reportedly travelling from Elele in Rivers State to Kano State in order to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festivities. Their truck was stopped along the Uromi/Obajana Expressway around 1:30pm.

One of the survivors when interviewed narrated their ordeal with the Vigilantes. According to him, 27 of them were travelling when they were stopped on the road, and they received aggressive beatings. The arms that were found in their loads were, according to him, only hunting knives and registered locally made guns. These arms possession triggered the vigilantes who concluded that the travellers were kidnappers. Their gun licenses were confiscated and burned and they were left for the mob that had already formed around, to be dealt with.

Following the brutal killing of 16 Fulani men, some netizens have taken to social media to lament and express displeasure over the callous act. In a post made by Rahama Sadau, a Northern Nollywood actress  on 29th March, she said “I am angry. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the full video of the massacre in Edo state. Allah ya isa!!!... What have we become as humans please? Wallahi zuciyata zafi takeyi… where were the authorities when that happened? I’m sure it took them time to carry out such a brutal act. Justice must be served!!”

While many people applauded her for voicing out her expression, even many people have slammed her and queried her silence at times when non-muslims faced the same brutal fates in the North for the longest of times. Some reminded her of Deborah Samuel, the student of Shehu Shagari College of Education who was lynched to death on 12th May, 2022 and others who have either been unjustly killed, attacked,wounded, robbed and displaced by Northerners. Were they right to think this way?

The broader context of violence and ethnic/religious tensions in Nigeria, is a complex and sensitive topic. There are way too many underlying cases and causes of violence. This recent killing, if not properly addressed, and involved people, made to face the wrath of justice, it could endorse a cycle of violence. If we aren't exaggerating, More killings have definitely occurred in the North and by the hands of Northerners more than killings that have happened in Nigeria as a whole.

 However, we must not forget that not all Northerners have been involved in crimes like that. Justifying violence against a group of people because of past wrongs by their people, basically erodes our shared humanity and empathy. It is important to recognise the inherent value and dignity of every human life. 

It is understandable that Mob reactions stem from fear, misinformation and deep-rooted ethnic and religious mistrust. However, we should not fail to be aware that the change we keep lamenting about not happening, will only begin when we embrace it and start implementing it. The travellers were in possession of arms which according to them were registered. The fact remains that the truth behind these possessions was not found out. Were they truly Kidnappers? Were they terrorists? Were the arms just their means of protection due to insecurity in the country? Were they truly hunters? The worst case scenario should have been to take them into police custody for questioning and handed over to the law for punishment if indeed they were perpetrators. Alas they were massacred!

Final Thoughts

Nigeria has too many beautiful cultures. Rather than being our greatest strength apart from our rich natural resources, they have divided us even further. The North is a big and beautiful part of our nation. It may record high crime rates yearly but there are genuine, true, honest and innocent people who are born and bred there. The quicker we accept that not all Northerners are bad, the better it will be to embrace them. This is not limited to only Northerners, but across all parts of the country.