Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has warned members of the public against resorting to jungle justice, saying anyone involved in the lynching or unlawful killing of a suspect will face prosecution.
Disu, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said only a competent court of law has the authority to determine the guilt or otherwise of a criminal suspect and impose the appropriate punishment.
He urged members of the public to hand over suspected criminals to the police or other relevant security agencies for proper investigation and prosecution, stressing that no individual or group has the right to take another person\u2019s life.
The IGP said: \u201cLet me state this clearly, without ambiguity: jungle justice is murder. It is not justice; it is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such. It is illegal.
\u201cNigeria operates under the rule of law, not mob rule. No citizen, no community and no group has the right to try, sentence or execute another person. Nobody.
\u201cSections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, guarantee every Nigerian, including a suspect, the right to life, dignity and fair hearing.
\u201cNo mob action can be justified. Mob action violates the victim\u2019s right to life, dignity and fair hearing. The law presumes everybody innocent until proven guilty in a court of law\u2014not in the street, not by a mob and not by a phone video because you saw the person in a video.
\u201cInnocent people are dying daily on mere suspicion. We have documented painful and serious cases\u2014students being lynched over allegations of phone theft, travellers killed over mistaken identity, and young people murdered because of rumours of blasphemy or ritual killing. We have seen it in this country.\u201d
Disu cited the tragic lynching of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, in March 2025, as a serious reminder of the dangers of mob justice.
He said the incident should serve as a warning to Nigerians that allegations, rumours, viral videos or shouts of \u201cthief\u201d do not constitute evidence or confer on anyone the right to take another person\u2019s life.
\u201cThat single incident should haunt every Nigerian every day,\u201d he said. \u201cJust a rumour, a shout of \u2018thief, thief, thief,\u2019 or a viral video\u2014none of that is evidence. Listen, none of that is evidence. None of that gives anybody the right to take another person\u2019s life. That is not enough.\u201d
The IGP warned that those who participate in jungle justice would face severe legal consequences, noting that anyone who unlawfully kills a suspect could be prosecuted for murder or manslaughter, depending on the circumstances.
He said the liability would not be limited to the person who delivers the fatal blow, adding that those who plan, incite, encourage or provide support for mob action could also be held criminally responsible.
\u201cIt is not only the person who strikes the fatal blow or the person who uses a cutlass to cut the victim,\u201d Disu said.
\u201cAnybody who plans, incites or encourages the mob, who supports them or gives them all the support, even without laying a hand on the victim, is criminally liable.
\u201cThose who merely cheer or support the act, saying \u2018well done, una well done,\u2019 can be charged with conspiracy or conspiracy to murder, which carries severe punishment.
\u201cFilming the incident, circulating the videos, mobilising crowds or blocking security agents from rescuing a suspect can also attract criminal charges.\u201d
The IGP said he had directed all Commissioners of Police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to treat every case of mob action as a homicide and investigate such incidents thoroughly through forensic and intelligence-based methods.
He said the police would identify and arrest not only the alleged ring leaders but every participant who could be identified through video evidence, eyewitness accounts and community intelligence.
\u201cWe will identify, arrest and prosecute not just the ring leaders, but everybody we can identify who took part in it. If you are there laughing, we will check the video evidence, eyewitness testimonies and community intelligence,\u201d he said.
Disu also warned police officers and other security personnel against failing to intervene when mob action is taking place.
He said officers who deliberately look away, fail to intervene or neglect their responsibility to protect lives would face disciplinary action.
\u201cEven police officers and security officers who fail to intervene or look away when the crowd gathers and fail to do what is necessary will face disciplinary action,\u201d he said.
\u201cProtecting life is not an optional responsibility for any officer wearing this uniform. You must do your job.\u201d<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has warned members of the public against resorting to jungle justice, saying anyone involved in the lynching or unlawful killing of a suspect will face prosecution. Disu, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said only a competent court of law has the authority to determine the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n