The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Friday, March 28, visited Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area where some travellers were burnt to death, expressing dismay at such an act and also promising justice for the victims.
Thenewsbearer learnt that the governor had received the report of the killing and burning of the travellers on Thursday, March 27.
The report had it that the victims were travelling through the town from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when they were intercepted on suspicion of being criminals by the local vigilante members.
Visiting the scene of the incident to assess the situation, the governor said there was no excuse for the vigilante members to take the law into their hands without recourse to statutory law enforcement agencies.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, quoted the governor as directing the state Police Command and other security agencies to conduct thorough and speedy investigations into the matter and bring those found culpable to book.
He also charged the community to work with the security agencies to fish out the culprits.
Governor Okpebholo also commended community leaders, especially the leadership of Arewa community in the area, for descalating tensions and handling the situation with restrain.
Earlier, the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Government House, SP Solomon Osaghale, had visited Uromi on instance of the governor, and had vowed to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He told the people that the governor saw such a barbaric act as strange among Edo people, which would not be tolerated in the state.
SP Osaghale said he was sent by Governor Okpebholo to ascertain the level of damage done and to ensure that prompt a investigation is carried out to ensure justice and forestall a reoccurrence.
He revealed that investigations have shown that the people who were killed had boarded a commercial truck and was stopped by members of local security who upon search of the vehicle, discovered some guns, a situation that led to the mob attack by persons around the vicinity.
While condemning the act, he reinstated that nobody has the right to take another man’s life, stressing that the nature of the barbaric killing was a cause of concern to the governor.
SP Oseghale said: “His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo on getting the news of this incident, directed me to immediately come here and find out what transpired as the news of what happened here is a sign of worry to our governor whose desire is to create a prosperous state void of dastardly acts like this.
“I can assure you that the people involved in this unprovoked attacked will not go scot -free, as His Excellency has directed the Commissioner of Police to launch a full scale investigation into the matter,” he said.
The CSO called for calm, while assuring the law abiding residents of Uromi, especially the Hausa Community in the area to go about their daily activities, as men of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies had been deployed to restore peace and normalcy to the place.
Appreciating the governor for his swift response, the leader of the Hausa Community in Uromi, Mallam Aliyu Haruna, also thanked Governor Okpebholo for deploying the CSO and other security personnel to the community.
Mallam Haruna acknowledged that their presence has brought calm and reassurance to the Hausa Community in the area, as there was palpable fear and unease in their camp following the unfortunate incident which he noted had never happened before in the local government
Haruna said: “We want to sincerely thank the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo for his swift response to the occurrence of this ugly incidence. I must tell you that this is the first time a thing like this is happening in Uromi, and it baffles me because Uromi people have been so accommodating to us in the Hausa Community.
“Over the years, we have lived peacefully among the indigenes. Our sojourn in this land has spanned over 70 years. I was given birth to here, and so are many other people you are seeing here today.”
