By Khalid Idris Doya Families of migrant herders in Edo State have petitioned the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged killing and unlawful...
By Khalid Idris Doya
Families of migrant herders in Edo State have petitioned the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged killing and unlawful detention of their relatives by members of a local vigilante group operating in Ekoma, Esan West Local Government Area.
The petition, filed through the law firm Saraki, Ahmed & Partners and addressed to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, accused members of the vigilante group of killing two herders and illegally detaining others, including a university lecturer who reportedly assisted the victims.
According to the petition signed by Barrister Hussaini Saraki, the victims — Malam Musa Sale and Malam Ahmadu Ibrahim (both deceased), and Mr. Yusuf Abubakar, a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria — were lawfully grazing cattle in the area on September 9, 2025, when they were allegedly confronted by vigilante members.
“Our clients cooperated peacefully with the vigilantes, yet, without provocation, they were brutally assaulted. Several fled for their lives, while two were captured,” the petition stated.
The lawyer said the victims’ families reported the incident to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, who directed them to lodge a formal complaint at the Ekoma Divisional Police Office. However, upon returning to the division with Mr. Abubakar to assist in the documentation, they were allegedly arrested and detained as suspects before being transferred to Benin City.
Following an investigation, a police team from Benin reportedly visited a site where the remains of the two herders were discovered, confirming their deaths.
The petition also dismissed as false a subsequent claim by police that Mr. Abubakar was found with a firearm, describing it as “malicious and unfounded,” insisting that he had voluntarily accompanied the families and was unarmed.
Barrister Saraki described the incident as a violation of the victims’ fundamental rights to life and liberty as guaranteed under Sections 33 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He accused the vigilante group of “cold-blooded murder and unlawful detention” and alleged that some police officers handling the case exhibited bias and complicity.
The petition further alleged that incidents of lawlessness and extrajudicial killings by vigilante groups were becoming rampant in Edo State, citing a similar case recently recorded in Uromi.
The families urged the Inspector-General of Police to order a comprehensive and independent investigation into the actions of the vigilante members and to direct the immediate release of Mr. Yusuf Abubakar and others allegedly detained. They also called for the arrest and prosecution of all those found culpable, including any police officers involved in mishandling the case.
Barrister Saraki expressed confidence that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police would ensure justice, emphasizing that “the lives of Nigerian citizens, regardless of their background or occupation, must be protected from unlawful killings and abuse by unauthorized individuals.”
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