Amnesty International Calls for Probe into Lynching of 16 Travelers in Edo 

Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the brutal lynching of at least 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State. 

The victims, reportedly hunters traveling from Rivers State to Kano for Eid celebrations, were attacked by vigilante members and armed youths who blocked their vehicle, dragged them out one by one, beat them, and then set them ablaze.

In a statement released on Friday and signed by the Country Director, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International condemned the gruesome act and urged the Nigerian government to ensure justice for the victims.

“The Nigerian authorities must go beyond merely condemning the incident and ensure that the suspected attackers are apprehended and brought to justice in a fair trial,” the statement read. “The consistent failure of the Nigerian government to punish mob violence has created an environment in which violent mobs believe themselves entitled to take the law into their own hands.”

Harrowing videos of the incident, which went viral on social media, show the victims pleading for their lives as a cheering crowd watched the vigilantes attack them with axes, iron rods, and machetes.

According to Amnesty International, the attackers tied the victims to used tyres, doused them in petrol, and set them on fire.

The organization described the lynching as part of a growing trend of vigilante groups unlawfully blocking highways and engaging in violent acts with impunity.

“The horrific mob violence that happened at Uromi is part of the rising trend of vigilante groups of towns and villages along highways blocking roads and carrying out unlawful activities with impunity,” Sanusi said. “The fact that these killings have been happening for a long time, with few cases investigated and prosecuted, highlights the authorities’ shocking failure to uphold and fulfil their obligation to protect people from harm and violence.”

Amnesty International stressed the urgent need for the government to take decisive action to curb mob violence and bring perpetrators to justice.

“The Nigerian government must take appropriate and effective measures to prevent cases of mob violence across the country and ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims,” the statement concluded. “The police must be adequately equipped to respond to mob violence.”

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