FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Esan Okpa Initiative, EOI, a pan-Esan group has strongly decried the violence and unlawful act that led to the tragic event in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Expressing deep sorrow and concern over the unfortunate event in which some lives were lost, the association appealed to “our brothers and sisters from the northern part of the country to resist the temptation of retaliation or reprisal actions”, noting that “violence begets violence.”
It also argued that “taking the law into one’s own hands can only deepen the crisis and endanger the peace that we all cherish, as no one wins when there is violence”.
AljazirahNigeria recalls that on March 27, some northern travellers were lynched in Uromi.
The victims, mostly from the north, were set ablaze by an angry mob after a local vigilante group allegedly found firearms in their possession while travelling in a Dangote Cement truck.
While lauding security agencies for their swift action in calming frayed nerves, the organisation called on the federal and Edo State governments to provide lasting solutions to stem the raging insecurity and heightened cases of kidnapping and killings in Esanland.
The group also urged “government to deploy more security personnel and leverage the already existing security structures that the community has put in place. The worsening insecurity has left our people unable to access their farmlands, threatening livelihoods and increasing tensions. If nothing is done, such unfortunate incidents may continue to occur,” they concluded.
