The truck driver who survived the lynching of 16 travelers from Kano State by a vigilante group in Uromi, Edo State, has given his account of the traumatic experience, contradicting claims that the incident was motivated by tribalism.
The incident occurred early Friday morning when the travelers, believed to be hunters, were traveling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
In a viral video, the truck driver, whose name was withheld, explained that he was transporting Dangote Group goods to Obajana in Kogi State when he encountered the hunters at Elele, who requested a ride to the northern part of the country.
Read Also: How 16 Travelers Were Mobbed, Killed In Edo
“I initially refused to give them a ride because it was against my company’s policy. But after driving for about two kilometers, 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 the driver, the journey proceeded without incident until they reached Uromi, where they were stopped by a vigilante group.
The vigilante leader reportedly inquired about the truck’s cargo and the passengers’ identities.
Despite the driver providing the waybill for the goods, the vigilante commander remained suspicious of the hunters, especially because of the weapons and dogs they were carrying.
“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.”
Read Also: Police Arrest 14, Narrates How Killing Of Northern Travelers Happened In Edo
The driver, along with two other individuals named 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 apprehended suspected kidnappers, resulting in 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.
The driver explicitly denied that the incident was the result of 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 emphasized.
The tragic event has been widely condemned across the country, with demands for a comprehensive investigation to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
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