Stop going to the South to hunt, Rep member tell northerners

Amid growing security concerns and tragic incidents involving hunters, a member of the House of Representatives, Kabiru Alhassan Rirum, has called on hunters from Northern Nigeria to desist from traveling to the South for hunting expeditions.

The lawmaker said such movements, though previously common, are no longer feasible in Nigeria’s current security climate.

Rirum, who represents Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya Federal Constituency of Kano State, made the appeal during a condolence visit on Thursday to the families of hunters from Uromi who were killed in Torankawa town, Bunkure LGA. The victims were reportedly lynched amid suspicions about their identity and purpose.

“The present-day Nigeria requires people to engage in businesses that will not create suspicion or cause uncertainties,” Rirum said. “Carrying dangerous weapons and moving with them across regions in these sensitive times can easily send the wrong signals and result in chaos.”

He recalled a recent incident in Ondo State where over 30 hunters from his hometown, Rano, were detained on suspicion of criminal intent. Rirum said he personally intervened by contacting the Ondo State Governor and presenting evidence that the men were legitimate hunters, not criminals.

“If those in Ondo were as senseless as the Uromi mob, what do you think would have happened?” he asked. “The story would have been different by now.”

In a gesture of support, the lawmaker donated N5 million to the bereaved families and announced plans to build an Islamic school in the community. He said the project aims to care for the orphans of the slain hunters and offer the community a sense of inclusion and stability.

Also speaking at the event, Senator Masud el Jibrin Doguwa, Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), expressed deep sorrow over the loss. He commended the school initiative and assured the community that construction would begin shortly.

“We want the children and families left behind to know they are not forgotten or abandoned,” Doguwa said.

The incident underscores the fragile state of interregional relations in Nigeria and raises fresh concerns about profiling and mob actions. It also highlights the urgent need for dialogue, understanding, and law enforcement reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future.