By James Adamu, Abuja
The Senate is seeking a law to regulate hunting in the country.
This is to ensure that it is run as a business with operational guidelines, including proper identification of hunters, among other requirements.
The proposal came on Tuesday as senators revisited the recent killing of 16 hunters in Uromi, Edo State, who were mistaken for kidnappers.
It followed a motion titled, “Uromi Killings and Government’s Response”, moved by a lawmaker from Kano State, Sen. Suleiman Kawu, calling for concerted efforts by governments, security agencies and operators to prevent a repeat of similar incidents.
Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, while commenting on the development, asked the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Barau Jibrin, to come up with a proposed bill on regulating hunting in Nigeria.
He said, “Give us a proposed bill to regulate hunting as a business in Nigeria.
“We should propose that when hunters move into a particular state, they should report to the police so that they can be properly identified.
“They can also carry means of identification so that they can move freely and conduct their business of hunting.
“Vigilantes should also be properly regulated.”
Senators again sympathised with the families of the victims and particularly commending the governments of Edo and Kano states for their prompt intervention to sue for peace and prevent further bloodletting.
The 16 hunters were killed on March 27, 2025 as they were traveling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano to observe the Sallah festivities.
They were intercepted and lynched by vigilantes who mistook them them kidnappers.
The attack occurred around 1:30 p.m. when local security guards stopped their vehicle, found licensed hunting guns, and raised the alarm that triggered the mob attack.
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