“Stop Hunting In South”,: Rep Rano Bunkure Cautions Against Carrying Weapons To Southern Communities

The member representing the Rano-Bunkure Federal Constituency, Kabiru Rurum, has urged members of his community—particularly the families of the 16 hunters who were brutally killed in Uromi, Edo State—to discontinue hunting activities in the southern part of the country.

He emphasized that the practice is no longer sustainable due to the prevailing insecurity across the nation.

“Our people need to stop these practices and reconsider the current situation. Things have really deteriorated,” he stated.

Rurum made this appeal on Thursday during a condolence visit to the victims’ families in Bunkure village, where the community had gathered to welcome him.

He noted that circumstances have changed significantly, and given the widespread insecurity, certain practices must be discontinued.

According to him, “In this age, you cannot carry weapons like guns and cutlasses and go to the South in the name of hunting. Things have changed.”

He continued, “I want to use this opportunity to call on our brothers, especially the hunters, to understand that today is not like the past. Things have changed.”

“It’s like living in this community and seeing people from a southern tribe wielding dangerous weapons, people who don’t speak your language, and you don’t speak theirs—what would be your reaction? Likewise, you cannot go into southern communities wielding weapons for hunting when there’s a language barrier and heightened insecurity.”

“Things have changed in this country—it’s not like it used to be. So, we are calling on our people to stop this practice.”

He added, “We are going to engage with the various hunters’ associations in the state to ensure this practice comes to an end. We must learn to adapt to changing times. This hunting activity must not continue. People go out in the name of hunting and return without even a rat.”

“We are calling on you to please stop this practice and find more peaceful and sustainable alternatives,” he stated.

Rurum also donated the sum of N5 million to the victims’ families and promised to build a school in the community, dedicated to the memory of the slain hunters.