Apex northern socio-political group, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has reacted to the gruesome killing of 16 northern hunters by a mob in Uromi, Edo State, after they were mistaken for kidnapers on Friday.
The NEF, in a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, expressing outrage over the killing of the hunters, said the North has tolerated enough of such attacks on its people in several parts of the country and will no longer condone such attacks.
In a statement issued by NEF spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the group gave the Edo State and federal government a 14-day ultimatum to compensate families of the victims or face the consequences of the mob action, as well as issue a public apology and an undertaking that such barbaric acts would no longer occur.
Describing the incident as “shocking, sad, and deeply disturbing,” the NEF also demanded the arrest and trial of those responsible for the killing of the northern travelersl which must be conducted publicly to ensure transparency and accountability.
The NEF statement reads in part:
“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.
“Over the years, the North has endured multiple acts of violence from some southern regions in the past, but such incidents must come to an end.
“NEF demands immediate action, including the arrest and trial of all individuals responsible for the attack and the brutal killings of the innocent travellers.
“The calls for a public prosecution of the perpetrators and those that aided the crime to ensure full transparency and accountability.
“Additionally, the forum demands the due payment of compensation to the families of the victims, in line with the prescribed standards of their respective faiths.
“The NEF also demand an unreserved apology from the people and 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 NEF gives 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.