Northern elders have kicked over the killing of 16 persons of Northern extraction in Uromi area of Edo State and given the government an ultimatum to fish out the killers.
The elders, on the platform of the Northern Elders Forum, stated this in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere.
In a statement on Saturday, the elders said: “NEF received the shocking, sad, and deeply disturbing news of the barbaric, extra-judicial, and cowardly killing of innocent Northern hunters who were returning home to celebrate the end of Ramadan and Eid Kabir Sallah festival with their families in Uromi, Edo State.
“This heinous act is totally unacceptable, and we condemn it in the strongest terms.
“The North has tolerated numerous acts of recklessness from some Southern part of 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 the innocent travellers.
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“The NEF demands a public prosecution of the perpetrators and those that 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 behavior 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 such future acts of violence.”
The elders also gave the Federal and Edo States Governments 14 days within which to meet their demands, adding that justice must be served in this case.
The statement by Jiddere added: “Failure to do so will compel the North to take all necessary actions to seek justice for her people and the North.”
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