The National Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop David Bakare, has strongly condemned the killing of 16 travelling hunters intercepted by local vigilantes in the Uromi community, Esan North Local Government Area of Edo State.
In an interview with journalists on Sunday in Kaduna, Bishop Bakare called for thorough investigations into the ungodly act to ensure that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.
The clergyman appealed against reprisal attacks, emphasising that two wrongs cannot make a right.
He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and urged the authorities to ensure that the culprits are held accountable to deter future occurrences.
“We strongly condemn this barbaric and ungodly act of killing travellers under any circumstances.
“Even if they were kidnappers, that does not warrant taking the law into our hands; the right thing would have been to hand them over to law enforcement agents for proper investigation and legal action.
“We urge that a thorough investigation must be carried out on this matter to ensure that the culprits are brought to book, no matter who they may be.
“We appeal against reprisal actions because two wrongs will not make a right. Our prayers are with the families of the victims.
“Nigeria needs all the peace it can get at this time,” the PFN National Secretary said.
On Thursday, 27 March, the hunters, said to be of northern extraction, were travelling from Elele, Rivers State, to Kano for Sallah when they were intercepted by a vigilante group in the Uromi area.
The vigilante group was reported to have raised the alarm, accusing the travellers of being kidnappers after discovering dane guns in the truck the hunters were travelling in, which led to a mob attack.
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