BY: AMINU SALISU DWOLF, KANO
One year after the tragic killing of 16 Kano state hunters in Uromi community of Edo State, the government of Kano State has commenced the distribution of cash and food assistance to the victims’ families.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, disclosed this during a visit to Bunkure Local Government Area, where families of the deceased were gathered.
He said the intervention followed a directive by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, after it was discovered that an earlier promise made during a condolence visit had not been fulfilled.
According to the commissioner, each of the 16 affected families received ₦300,000, while survivors of the attack were given ₦200,000 each, alongside two bags of rice per beneficiary as part of efforts to support those affected by the incident.
The victims were reportedly attacked while returning to Kano from Edo State, where about 16 people were killed and 13 others survived the mob assault, an incident the commissioner described as a “national calamity.”
Waiya noted that Governor Yusuf had earlier visited Edo State alongside his counterpart to sympathize with the victims, adding that while Kano State has now fulfilled its commitment, the Edo State Government has also assured that compensation will soon be paid.
“Accounts have already been opened for each of the families, and we are expecting that the Edo State Government will release the funds any moment from now,” he said.
He urged the affected families to remain patient, assuring them that both state governments are committed to ensuring justice and continued support for the victims.
In his remarks, the District Head of Bunkure, Aminu Umar, commended the government’s intervention and called on the families to exercise patience.
However, the team leader, Ibrahim Isa, expressed concern over alleged attempts by some individuals to divert or mishandle part of the assistance meant for the bereaved families, describing the situation as unacceptable.
The commissioner, in response, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustained support for the victims’ families, pledging that the administration will continue to stand in solidarity with them in the aftermath of the tragedy.