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In a bid to tackle growing concerns over mob justice and extrajudicial killings, the Nigerian Senate has moved to expedite consideration of a proposed bill aimed at regulating vigilante groups and hunting activities nationwide.
The decision came in response to a motion by Senator Sumaila Kawu, who condemned the March 27 killing of 16 Northern travellers in Uromi, Edo State. The victims were reportedly intercepted by an unauthorised security outfit, accused of being kidnappers, and then lynched in what Kawu described as a “gruesome violation” of constitutional rights and a “chilling erosion of the rule of law.”
“It is unacceptable that citizens are killed without recourse to law or justice. The right to life is sacrosanct,” Kawu said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, speaking during Tuesday’s plenary, called the incident “a case of mistaken identity which also showed the state of apprehension in the country,” emphasising the urgency for legal safeguards to prevent future occurrences.
Senator Rufai Hanga praised the prompt intervention of Kano State’s government and traditional rulers for calming tensions. “Without their swift intervention, we could have witnessed an avoidable ethnic crisis,” he said.
The Senate observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims and expressed support for the efforts of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to investigate the attack and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
In addition, the Senate directed its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs, and Human Rights to closely monitor the official response and recommend legislative action to professionalise and regulate the activities of community-based security outfits and vigilante groups.
The proposed legislation will also require hunters and similar groups to report to the nearest police station when entering another state, in a bid to strengthen oversight and improve national security coordination.
