One year after sixteen hunters were brutally killed hundreds of kilometres away in Uromi, Edo State, their families are still living with the pain — and the unanswered promises that followed their deaths.
In the days that followed the killings in March 2024, there were assurances of justice and compensation. Today, those promises feel distant, as hope slowly gives way to frustration.
At about this time in 2024, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, paid a condolence visit to his Kano State counterpart Abba Yusuf and his people, before proceeding to far Bunkure — the home of community of the slain hunters.
At that meeting in Government house, Governor Okpebholo disclosed that suspects linked to the killings had been arrested. But beyond arrests, the people of Kano wanted something deeper — justice for the dead and relief for those left behind.
One moment that brought temporary comfort to the grieving community was the physical presence of the Edo State Governor. Standing before families weighed down by loss, he assured them that justice would not be delayed, and that compensation would be paid.
But exactly one year later, those assurances appear to have faded. For many of the families, life has only grown harder.
Breadwinners are gone, and in their place are widows forced into unfamiliar struggles, and children pushed into hardship.
Some family members say they feel forgotten, as both justice and compensation remain out of reach.
Amid the disappointment, the Kano State Government has stepped in to provide some relief. Governor Abba Yusuf, through the Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, sent food items, clothing, and financial support to the affected families to help ease their burden, especially during the festive season.
While the gesture offers temporary relief, bereaved families say it does not replace what has been lost — nor does it fulfill the promises made.
They are now openly expressing frustration, calling on the Edo State Government to act, not just with words, but with tangible results.
The Kano State Government is reassuring the families that more support is underway, even as calls for justice grow louder, noting that it is aware conpesnation would be paid soon.
For these families, time has not healed the wounds — it has only deepened the silence around them. As they hold on to memories of those they lost, their message is clear: justice delayed is justice denied, and promises made must not be forgotten.
(Editor:Roluke Ogundele)
