Uromi Tragedy: Northern Travelers Laid to Rest Amid Calls for Justice

In a sorrowful ceremony on Saturday, the bodies of the northern travelers killed in Uromi, Edo State, were laid to rest.

A viral video of the burial, shared by security analyst Zagazola Makama on X, captured the heartbreaking moment. The footage showed members of the Hausa community in deep mourning as the shrouded bodies were placed beside a mass grave.

As the funeral prayers commenced, a grieving man filming the ceremony spoke in Hausa:

"Assalamualaikum. This time, we will pray for our brothers who were massacred. May God bless them with mercy, forgive them, and accept their martyrdom for the sake of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)."

The rites began as an imam led the prayers over the remains. The man filming revealed that the death toll had risen to 19.

"Initially, three bodies were brought to us for prayers, but now, 16 more have arrived. May God Almighty forgive them," he said.

Pointing to the graves, he continued:

"Because there are so many, it is not possible to dig individual graves. Instead, they will be buried together in one place."

Amid the mourning, a grieving mother wept bitterly.

"My son was not a kidnapper! He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" she cried.

A devastated father clung to a picture of his deceased child.

Anselm Aidenojie II, the Ojuromi of Uromi, joined Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo in visiting the Hausa community to express condolences. Condemning the killings, Aidenojie assured that security forces were taking action to prevent retaliatory attacks.

"Those responsible will be held accountable. The victims have been buried, and hopefully, such a tragedy will never happen again in our community or anywhere else," he stated.

In response, Governor Okpebholo ordered the immediate suspension of all vigilante groups in the state.

Meanwhile, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer Moses Yamu confirmed that 14 suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Following the tragedy, northern governors moved swiftly to prevent retaliatory violence.

Ismaila Misili, spokesperson for the Governor of Gombe State and Director-General for Press Affairs of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), assured that there was no rising tension in the North.

"Let me unequivocally state that there is no unrest in the North over the unfortunate incident in Edo State. Northern governors, through their chairman and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, have already called for calm and restraint," he stated.

Misili added that individual northern governors were working closely with stakeholders to maintain peace, especially ahead of the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

Additionally, the Northern Elders Forum issued an ultimatum and presented three demands to the Federal Government and the Edo State government regarding the killings.

Before their tragic deaths, the victims had been traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano for the Sallah holiday.

In reaction to the mob attack, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered security forces to swiftly track down those responsible for the killings.