The truck driver who survived the lynching of 16 travellers of Kano State extraction, by a vigilante group in Uromi, Edo State, has recounted the harrowing experience, refuting claims that the incident was tribal-related.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday when the travellers, believed to be hunters, were journeying from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
The truck driver, whose name was not revealed in a viral video circulating online, stated that he was transporting Dangote Group’s goods to Obajana in Kogi State when he encountered the hunters at Elele, seeking a ride to the northern part of the country.
“I initially refused to give them a ride because it was against my company’s policy. But after driving for about two kilometres, I felt guilty for abandoning them. After all, they are my fellow Northerners from Kano State, so I went back and picked them up,” the driver said.
According to him, the journey was peaceful until they arrived at Uromi, where they were stopped by a vigilante group. The leader of the vigilante allegedly questioned the driver about his cargo and the identity of his passengers. Despite presenting the waybill for the goods, the vigilante commander reportedly expressed suspicion about the hunters, particularly due to their weapons and dogs aboard the truck.
“He said he (Vigilante Leader) didn’t trust them and demanded they come down. As soon as the crowd saw their guns and dogs, they attacked us,” the driver narrated. “The commander told the crowd that we were kidnappers and Boko Haram, and they started beating us mercilessly.”
The driver, alongside two others identified as Haruna, an older man, and a younger man, were reportedly handcuffed by the vigilante commander and taken to a nearby police station. The vigilante informed the police that they had captured suspected kidnappers, leading to their immediate detention.
“By the time he went back to the scene, the mob had already killed 16 people,” the driver revealed, his voice filled with anguish.
He, however, categorically dismissed suggestions that the incident was a tribal clash.
“This was not a tribal clash. The vigilante are solely responsible for this attack. They are the ones that caused our people to be murdered in cold blood,” he emphasised.
The tragic event has drawn widespread condemnation nationwide, with calls for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
