The Lagos State Police Command has warned residents against jungle justice, saying mob action could amount to murder or manslaughter. The warning follows the killing of a man by a mob on Lagos Island, two weeks before his wedding, after a road accident.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said investigating alleged crimes and determining suspects’ guilt or innocence remained the responsibility of the police and courts. “Without ambiguity, jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime,” she said.
Adebisi said the 1999 Constitution protected fundamental rights, including the rights to life, dignity, liberty and fair hearing. Section 36 also guaranteed the presumption of innocence, meaning suspects remained innocent until proven guilty by a competent court. “Even if you believe that someone has committed a crime, you do not have the right to beat, torture, burn, stab or stone the person to death,” she said.
The police spokesperson said the Lagos State Criminal Law also criminalised violence against persons, including assault, grievous harm and unlawful wounding. She cited Sections 245 and 246 of the law, which address grievous harm and unlawful wounding, respectively.
Adebisi said the command would investigate jungle justice resulting in serious injury or death as a criminal offence. “If jungle justice leads to serious injury or wounding, the Lagos State Police Command will investigate it as a criminal offence. If jungle justice leads to the death of a person, we will investigate it as murder or manslaughter under the criminal law of Lagos State,” she said.
She warned residents involved in mob attacks that they could themselves become suspects and face criminal investigation. “If you join others in beating or killing a person because you believe that the person committed a crime, you may end up becoming a suspect yourself,” she said.
Adebisi urged residents to alert the police, provide useful information and help prevent suspects from escaping instead of taking the law into their hands. She also appealed to witnesses of mob attacks to seek immediate help and report incidents rather than merely recording them with mobile phones. “Recording the incident does not replace your responsibility to seek help and report the matter. If you see a mob attacking a person, call the police immediately,” she said.
The PPRO assured residents that the command would handle every jungle justice case in accordance with the law. She said the command, under Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, remained committed to securing justice for victims and their families.
This is not the first time the police have issued such a warning. The 2020 #EndSARS protests were sparked by allegations of police brutality, and the authorities have since been under pressure to address extrajudicial killings. The difference this time is that the warning comes after a specific incident, giving it added urgency.
The winners: the police, who have issued a clear warning; and the Nigerian public, who have been reminded of the legal consequences of mob action. The losers: those who continue to engage in jungle justice; and the victims and their families, who have suffered from the failure of the justice system.
Bottom Line: The police have declared jungle justice a crime. The warning is clear. The question is whether it will be heeded or ignored.