By – Osayande Idehen
The Esan Descendants Assembly (EDA) Worldwide has condemned in strong terms the mob killing of several persons in Uromi, Edo State, describing the act as a “tragedy without excuse” and an “abomination that has shamed the land.”
In a statement released on Sunday, March 30, 2025, and signed by EDA Chairman, Prof. G.R.A. Okogun, and General Secretary, Saintmoses Eromosele (SME), the pan-Esan body expressed deep sorrow and regret over the brutal incident, which saw several men burned alive by a mob “seized by fury.”
“Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six — but several human beings, flesh, spirit, and bone — were cast into the flames,” the statement noted, describing the horror as one that has shaken the soul of Esanland.
While distancing the Esan people from the act—stating it may have been perpetrated by “resident strangers among us”—the Assembly acknowledged collective pain and took moral responsibility. “The pain rests on all of us, like the dust of the dry season that settles upon every roof—guilty or innocent,” it stated.
The EDA also offered a heartfelt apology to the families of the victims, saying, “We do not apologise from politeness, but from the pain of brotherhood. No man deserves to be judged by fire. No mother should receive her child in ashes.”
Beyond condemnation, the Assembly used the opportunity to highlight the deteriorating security situation in Uromi and surrounding towns, noting that residents now live under siege, plagued by “daily incidents of kidnapping, fear, uncertainty, and helplessness.”
“For many planting seasons now—especially in the past couple of years—Uromi and her sister towns have groaned under the weight of evil: kidnappers striking by night and day, rapists and raiders invading homes and farmlands, killers walking boldly through markets,” the statement continued.
The Assembly lamented what it described as the “silence of those meant to protect us,” referencing delayed government action and the unfulfilled hope placed on the commissioning of the Esan Mobile Police Squadron Barracks.
While acknowledging the root of the mob action as long-standing insecurity and neglect, the EDA strongly discouraged acts of self-help and mob justice. “Justice has been distant, but revenge is not an option,” it warned, adding, “We must not feed this madness… Esanland is not a jungle.”
In a tone both reverent and assertive, the statement celebrated Esan’s legacy of honour—citing kings, scholars, warriors, healers, and religious leaders whose contributions have shaped Nigeria and the world.
The EDA called on Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army’s 4th Mechanized Brigade, and all relevant stakeholders to take urgent action to secure Edo Central.
“Let them rise not only in anger after the deed is done, but with courage before it is done,” it urged. “Let them defend the living with the same zeal with which they now count the dead.”
The statement ended with a solemn plea: “Enough blood has been spilled. Enough tears have fallen. Let us say no to mob justice—and never again take the law into our own hands. Let us put out the fire before it consumes us all.”
Contact:
Prof. G.R.A. Okogun – 0805 881 5346
Saintmoses Eromosele (SME) – 0807 943 6049
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