Opinion: Uromi Killings Expose Nigeria’s Deep-Rooted Injustice and Selective Outrage

 

The brutal killing of 16 northern travelers in Uromi, Edo State, has once again thrown Nigeria into a heated debate over justice, security, and the glaring inconsistencies in government response to violence. While this heinous act deserves unequivocal condemnation, the deeper issue remains: why does justice in Nigeria often seem selective?

The tragic incident, which saw 16 travelers of northern origin gruesomely murdered by an enraged mob, has sparked widespread condemnation. However, the speed and intensity of the government’s reaction have raised eyebrows, especially among those who have long decried the silence over similar atrocities committed elsewhere in the country.

Nigeria is no stranger to ethno-religious violence. Over the years, communities across the country, particularly in the South and Middle Belt, have suffered relentless attacks from armed groups suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. Farmers in Benue, Plateau, Enugu, Ondo, Delta, and Ebonyi have been massacred, villages razed to the ground, and entire families wiped out. Yet, these tragedies have often been met with muted responses from authorities.

Double Standards in Justice?

The swiftness with which the federal government, northern governors, and security agencies reacted to the Uromi killings is in stark contrast to their past responses—or lack thereof—when victims belonged to other ethnic or religious groups. This has led to a crucial question: are some Nigerian lives worth more than others?

The killings in Benue, where entire farming communities have been displaced, did not spark an emergency response of this magnitude. When southern villages were overrun and their people butchered, the government’s reaction was either dismissive or painfully slow. This discrepancy has fueled frustration and resentment, further eroding trust in the system.

Similarly, the killing of Deborah Samuel, a young Christian student in Sokoto who was lynched and burned alive over allegations of blasphemy, did not attract the same level of national urgency. If jungle justice is wrong in Uromi, why was it tolerated in Sokoto? Why was there no nationwide outrage when innocent farmers were slaughtered in their homes? These inconsistencies in Nigeria’s justice system have only deepened the cracks of division.

The Root of the Crisis

Beyond the killings, deeper issues remain unresolved. What led to this tragedy in Uromi? Reports suggest that the victims were carrying firearms in an already volatile region where tensions between locals and suspected Fulani herdsmen have run high due to repeated cases of kidnappings and killings. Could this have been an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, or was it a tragic consequence of a people pushed to their breaking point after years of unaddressed violence?

Communities across the country have long warned about the dangers of allowing impunity to fester. The government’s failure to address past atrocities has led to a dangerous precedent—one where people take the law into their own hands, believing that justice will never come from official channels.

The Path Forward: Justice or Chaos?

The Nigerian government must recognize that selective justice breeds resentment and fuels further violence. If it truly seeks peace, it must ensure that all acts of violence—whether perpetrated by Fulani militias, religious extremists, or angry mobs—are met with equal and uncompromising punishment.

Justice must not be dictated by ethnicity, religion, or political expediency. The lives lost in Uromi mattered, just as the lives lost in Benue, Sokoto, and Enugu mattered. Until Nigeria abandons selective outrage and embraces true justice, the road ahead will only lead to more chaos.

The fundamental question remains: does Nigeria want real justice, or does it prefer the illusion of it—one that only serves a select few while pushing the nation further into division and anarchy?

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