Violence broke out in the Auchi Sacred Kingdom of Edo State this past Saturday as residents’ simmering anger over a wave of abductions finally reached a breaking point.
Tensions had been escalating for several days, fueled by what locals describe as an alarming increase in the frequency of kidnappings within the community.
Speaking anonymously to ARISE News, a member of the Otaru Council highlighted the severity of the situation, stating:“For months now, we have been facing a lot of kidnapping issues. Every day, there must be a report of kidnapping. Once they kidnap, the ransom they ask for is from N100 million. And we cannot take it anymore.”
The unrest followed a series of demonstrations by elderly women in the kingdom who marched through major streets, publicly invoking curses upon the kidnappers and their accomplices.
The council member noted that these “peaceful protests” were a cry that “enough is enough” and that “kidnapping is not needed” in their community.
By Saturday, the frustration shifted from protests to direct action as local youths mobilized.
“And today, the youth came out,” the official said.
The groups began attempting to identify and evict individuals who did not have permanent residences.
The council member explained the logic behind this move:“Any Hausa without residence is asked to leave. We want every Hausa man or woman to have a place to stay in our community, not by hanging around. Most of the Hausa boys, at night, you will see them hanging on top of bikes… we want every Hausa man or woman to have a place to reside in so that if anything happens, we know where to go.”
This led to a violent confrontation in the Hausa quarters, where shelters and shops were set ablaze, forcing many residents to flee for their lives.
The Nigerian Army was eventually deployed to quell the violence, but their presence was met with criticism from some indigenes.
The council member alleged that “the Hausas went to call soldiers to back them up,” and accused the military of “protecting the Hausas, not the Auchi community.”
According to the official, the mass mobilization of women and youth occurred specifically “because they felt that the army was not doing the best of what is expected of them.”
While Auchi has a long history of being a welcoming hub for various ethnic groups, many locals now argue this hospitality has been exploited.
Concerns are mounting over the influx of migrants arriving in trucks, with some residents claiming the settler population is beginning to outnumber the indigenous people, further fueling the current ethnic and security tensions.
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