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<p>A 20-year-old hunter, Abubakar Shehu, has recounted the terrifying moments he endured during a brutal vigilante attack in <strong>Edo State</strong> that left 16 of his fellow hunters dead.</p>
<p>The group, made up of young men mostly in their 20s, had spent weeks in southern Nigeria hunting wild animals, which they planned to sell back home in <strong>Kano State.</strong></p>
<figure id="attachment_1167522" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1167522" style="width: 718px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><picture decoding="async" class="wp-image-1167522 size-full"><source type="image/webp" /><img decoding="async" src="https://toptechblitz.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_9404.jpeg" alt="Edo killings: How I survived the attack that killed my 16 friends" width="718" height="575" />
</picture><figcaption id="caption-attachment-1167522" class="wp-caption-text">Abubakar Shehu.</figcaption></figure>
<p>They were heading north to celebrate the Eid festivities when their truck was stopped by local vigilantes in Uromi, Edo State.</p>
<p>According to Shehu, what started as a routine stop turned deadly within seconds.</p>
<p>“<em>They asked us to come down from the vehicle. Before we could say anything, one of them hit our leader with an axe,”</em> he told BBC Pidgin.</p>
<p>What followed was chaos. The vigilantes began beating the young men with sticks and machetes. Shehu managed to escape the violent scene by sprinting into the bush.</p>
<p><em>“I dodged some punches and ran for my life. I fell into a ditch but got up and kept running until I found an abandoned house to hide in. I stayed there until around 10pm,”</em> he said.</p>
<p>While in hiding, Shehu could hear the haunting screams of his friends as they were being tortured. According to reports, many were beaten and later burnt alive.</p>
<p>“<em>I could hear their cries. I was scared they’d find me too,”</em> he said.</p>
<p>Later that night, Shehu made his way back to the road and flagged down a passing truck, whose driver took him to safety.</p>
<p>The gruesome killings have sparked outrage across Nigeria and drawn widespread condemnation.</p>
<p>The police have since arrested 14 suspects connected to the killings, while human rights groups including Amnesty International have called for justice.</p>
<p>In Toronkawa village, Kano State, where the victims hailed from, mourning continues. Adama Ali, the mother of one of the deceased, said tearfully,<em> “I kept calling his phone, but no one answered. I knew something was wrong.”</em></p>
<p>Governor <strong>Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has visited his Kano counterpart to offer condolences and promised compensation to the victims’ families.</strong></p>
<p>Meanwhile, the village’s hunters’ association has demanded that those behind the attack be brought to justice.</p>
<p>“<em>I thank God for saving my life,</em>” Shehu said quietly. “<em>But I will never forget what I saw and heard. I just want justice for my friends.”</em></p>
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