'I bin tink say I go die' - Uromi jungle justice survivor and victims families speak about wetin happun

"Our pikin no be bad pipo. Dem neva thief before. Dem be just hunters wey dey try hustle to survive."

Na so, Sadiya Sa'adu tok. Her son Haruna Hamidan, dey among di 16 travellers wey bin dey attacked and killed for Uromi Edo state on March 27, 2025, on dia way to Kano from Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

Di gruesome killing of di men bin dey filmed and di video wey spread for social media spark reactions and outcry from stakeholders.

Sadiya say her pikin na di person wey dey take care of di family afta im papa die.

"Na im dey take care of me and e siblings. Now, we no even know how we go survive wit out am."

Sadiya say di last time wey she tok to am na four days befor e die, wen e send money make dem buy Sallah cloth for e pikin.

"I last tok to am on March 22, e send money tell us to buy cloth for di pikin. I tell am say di money no reach, e con say e go send di remaining one. E even tell me say e no go come home for Sallah, say e go just send us money."

Sadiya say na through di community announcement she hear say di hunters dey danger before dem con later tell dem say e son don die.

Sadiya say dia children no be thieves or criminals.

"Our pikin no be bad pipo. Dem neva thief before. Dem be just hunters wey dey try hustle to survive," she tok as she beg goment make dem do justice.

Out of di 16 pipo wey dem kill for Uromi, six come from Toronkawa community for Kano state.

BBC speak wit dia family as well as one man wey manage to escape.

For Torankawa village, na mourning get dem since di incident happen.

Di village dey known well well for hunting, wey dem dey use test di strength and bravery of dia members.

BBC Pidgin visit di community and see say di families still dey cry and dey mourn dia loved ones.

People wey die from Toronkawa communty

"E leave me wit three pikins" – Hadiza Muhammad

Hadiza Muhammad, wey be di wife of Abdulkadir Umar, wey leave two wives and three pikin, also share her pain.

She say she last tok to her husband on di same day wey dem kill am, wen e call am ask for prayer.

"E tell me say dem dey on dia way, make I pray for am. Afta dat, I never hear from am again."

She say around 4:00p.m., some pipo tell dem say accident happun, but dem no tell dem say na attack.

"Later dem come tell us say some pipo don kill dem. Since dat time, I neva get myself. We no go forgive dem, we dey pray say God go punish di people wey kill our husbands."

"My husband na good man. E dey do everytin wey e fit just to make us happy," she tok as she call for justice.

How I survive – Abubakar Shehu

Abubakar Shehu, one of di hunters wey survive, explain how e take escape di jungle justice for Uromi.

E say na di first time e go hunt for Port Harcourt, and as dem reach Uromi, vigilante stop dem.

"Wen we reach Uromi, dem stop us for road tell us make we come down from di bus."

"As we dey come down, dem begin beat us wit out asking any question."

As e see say di situation bad, e say e run go hide.

"Wen dem start dey beat us, some pipo for di place dey tell us make we run."

"As I stand up run, two of dem try stop me, but I get luck, dem no catch me."

"I hide for one uncompleted building and I hear everything wey dey happun to my friends."

Later for night around 10:00p.m., e find one tanker driver wey help am, drop am for Kabo, from dia e find way go Kano.

Shehu say Abdulkadir Umar, im friend don already faint before e escape.

"Before I run, Abdulkadir don already dey ground, my friends don get plenty wound."

E say di vigilante no even ask dem who dem be, dem just attack dem.

"We get our ID cards wey show say na hunters we be, but dem no ask us anything."

"Di money wey dem see wit us na for hunters wey never send dia money go house."

"Di guns and dogs wey we carry all get license. We be just hunters, no be bandits."

E say e no ever believe say e go survive.

"I bin tink say I go die, but I thank God say I escape," e tok.

'Goment must avenge us' – Torankawa Hunters Chairman

Di hunters association too wey di men belong to don chook mouth for di mata since e happun.

Mustapha Usman, wey be Chairman of Hunters Association for Torankawa, tok say goment must punish di killers.

"Di government must catch and punish di people wey kill 16 of our pipo."

E warn say if government no take action, tins fit spoil.