According to reports, the victims were suspected kidnappers or herders and were lynched by local vigilantes instead of being handed over to the police.

The Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) has condemned the killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, describing the mob attack as "barbaric and unjustifiable."

The group, however, placed ultimate responsibility on Nigeria’s ruling elites, accusing successive governments of failing to address the root causes of the country’s escalating security and economic crises.   

According to reports, the victims were suspected kidnappers or herders and were lynched by local vigilantes instead of being handed over to the police.

The MSA noted that such extrajudicial killings have become alarmingly common due to the collapse of public trust in law enforcement and state institutions.  

In a statement signed by Aj. Dagga Tolar, General Secretary of MSA, the group argued: "The failure of the police and government to protect communities from kidnappers and herders has forced people to take the law into their own hands. But mob justice is not the solution — it only deepens the cycle of violence."

The MSA highlighted that the farmer-herder conflict, fuelled by desertification in the North and unchecked migration, has led to over 542 deaths and 2.2 million displacements since 2019 (per SBM Intelligence). 

The group said despite repeated warnings, no concrete government action has been taken to resolve the crisis. 

"Instead of investing in sustainable solutions, the Tinubu administration has worsened economic hardship through anti-poor policies, pushing inflation and poverty to unbearable levels."

The group accused the Tinubu government of being more concerned with suppressing protests than tackling insecurity or economic collapse. 

"Police are quick to attack peaceful demonstrators but fail to protect farmers from herders or citizens from kidnappers," the MSA said.  

The statement read, "For nearly two years, the current Tinubu regime has failed to address any of the nation’s pressing challenges. Instead, it has worsened economic conditions, fueling high inflation, widespread insecurity, and mass poverty.

"Having promised to improve upon the disastrous economic performance of the Buhari administration, this government has, in reality, performed even worse.

"The government and the Nigerian police force only appear active when cracking down on peaceful protesters who dare to speak out against the suffering inflicted by its policies. The country is currently experiencing an unprecedented rise in the cost of living, with food prices skyrocketing daily. This, too, is directly linked to the ongoing farmer-herder crisis, which has severely disrupted food production and availability," Dagga stated.

According to him, "For years, the middle-belt region — including Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa states — has been at the epicenter of these violent conflicts, with little to no meaningful intervention from the government. Now, the crisis is escalating and spreading southward, leading to further loss of lives across different parts of the country. These developments highlight the ruling elite’s utter indifference to the plight of ordinary Nigerians, as long as the crisis does not directly impact their personal interests.

"Meanwhile, Nigeria’s security agencies remain overwhelmed by poor funding, inadequate welfare, and insufficient manpower. Rather than being deployed to protect the masses, the few available police officers are assigned to politicians and VIPs, leaving ordinary citizens vulnerable.

"However, the MSA also condemns the threat of reprisal attacks on southerns in Northern states coming from groups of individuals and youth. This will only further divide the working masses against themselves, instead of building the necessary working class unity that is necessary to take on the Tinubu regime and the various wings of the ruling class, as step forward to dismantling capitalism and its unending greed for profit as oppose to meeting the needs of the working masses."

The group stated, "Only a well-organised working-class movement can push for real solutions to these fundamental challenges. Labour unions, in particular, must take an active role in mobilising workers to seek political office, challenging the corrupt neoliberal regimes that prioritise profit over the welfare of the people. 

"The working class must recognise that capitalist policies are at the heart of this crisis. A government led by the working people, committed to nationalising the economy under democratic workers’ control and management, is the only viable solution to ending this systemic crisis and ensuring social justice for all."