Taiwo Popoola
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF, has made three key demands from the Edo State and federal governments regarding the killing of northern travellers in Uromi, Edo.
This comes as the forum warned that the region will no longer tolerate such recklessness from the people of southern Nigeria.
The spokesperson for NEF, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, disclosed this in a statement to Urban Express News Online at the weekend.
The forum demanded that the arrest and trial of those responsible for the killing of 16 northern travellers in Uromi must be conducted publicly to ensure transparency and accountability.
Additionally, NEF called for an unreserved public apology from Uromi and the Edo State authorities, along with a commitment to ensuring that such barbaric acts never occur again.
Lastly, the forum stated that compensation should be duly paid to the families of the victims in line with prescribed standards.
NEF subsequently gave the Edo State and Federal Government two weeks to meet these demands or face the consequences.
According to the statement: “The North has tolerated numerous acts of recklessness from some parts of Southern Nigeria in the past. This must come to an end.
“The arrest and trial of all individuals responsible for the attack and the brutal killings of innocent travellers. The NEF demands a public prosecution of the perpetrators and those who aided the crime to ensure full transparency and accountability.
“The due payment of compensation to the families of the victims, in line with the prescribed standards of their respective faiths.
“An unreserved apology from the people and authorities of Edo State, with a commitment to ensuring that such barbaric behaviour never occurs again. An unreserved apology from the Edo State Government to the North for this heinous attack on its people. The punishment of the perpetrators must be witnessed by the public to serve as a deterrent to any future acts of violence.
“The NEF also demands that the Edo State Government and the Federal Government take concrete and visible steps to fulfil these demands within fourteen (14) days from the date of this statement.”
Checks revealed that the murdered travelers were on a trip to Kano from Port Harcourt for the Sallah celebration before meeting their tragic end.
Urban Express News Online reports that the mob killing has sparked outrage across Nigeria.
Earlier, President Bola Ahmed directed security agencies to hunt for the Preparation of the mob killings in Edo State
Northern governors, in a strongly worded statement, condemned the Extrajudicial Killing, noting that the act is unacceptable.
The National Assembly, Northern youths and senators have all expressed their condemnation of the mob killings
