A security advocacy group and a Lagos-based lawyer have welcomed the Inspector-General of Police’s directive that cases of jungle justice should be treated as homicide.
They said mob killings undermine the rule of law and could push society towards anarchy if individuals are allowed to decide who is guilty and impose punishment themselves.
The President of the Security Situation Room (SSR), Douglas Ogbankwa, described the directive as timely, particularly against the backdrop of reported mob attacks and extra-judicial killings across Nigeria.
Security Group Warns Against Mob Justice
Ogbankwa said allowing citizens to take the law into their own hands effectively weakens the authority of government and the justice system.
He argued that modern societies are built around laws and institutions that give legitimate authorities the responsibility to investigate crimes, protect citizens and determine guilt.
“Allowing people to resort to strong-arm tactics in solving criminal activities is an invitation to anarchy,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria’s constitutional framework provides lawful channels through which allegations and grievances can be addressed.
He also pointed to the Police Act 2020, which gives the police powers to detect and investigate crimes and arrest suspected offenders within their jurisdiction.
Police Order Targets Mob Killings
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, recently directed Commissioners of Police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat jungle justice cases as homicide.
Disu issued the directive while appearing on a live programme on African Independent Television (AIT).
He condemned the growing incidence of mob attacks and extra-judicial killings, stressing that suspects are entitled to legal protection regardless of the allegations against them.
The police chief ordered the arrest and prosecution of people involved in jungle justice.
Constitution Protects Suspects
Disu cited Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which protect the rights to life, dignity and fair hearing.
He stressed that neither individuals nor groups have the legal authority to determine the guilt of an accused person.
Under the principle of presumption of innocence, a suspect remains innocent until a competent court establishes otherwise.
Lawyer Says Directive Is Legally Justified
Ademola Owolabi, a lawyer with Adetokunbo Ademola Chambers in Apapa, Lagos, also supported the police directive.
He said the law must respond to changing social realities while maintaining its fundamental principles.
Owolabi explained that homicide generally involves both a guilty act, known as actus reus, and a guilty state of mind, or mens rea.
He acknowledged that not every case of mob action would necessarily involve the same circumstances as a premeditated killing.
However, he said the law recognises that people can be presumed to intend the natural consequences of deliberate actions.
Mob Members Could Face Homicide Charges
Owolabi gave the example of a mob chasing an alleged thief, tying a tyre around the person’s neck and setting the individual on fire.
He argued that where such actions result in death, the circumstances could support a homicide prosecution because the participants deliberately engaged in conduct capable of causing death.
He made a similar point about cases where members of a mob repeatedly beat an alleged offender with weapons until the person dies.
The lawyer said the police were therefore justified in treating such incidents as homicide cases, subject to the evidence available in each particular case.
Lawyer Calls for Stronger Forensic Evidence
Owolabi, however, cautioned that investigators should not rely excessively on confessional statements when building cases against suspected perpetrators.
He urged the police to strengthen forensic investigation and gather independent evidence capable of supporting prosecutions.
He particularly warned against relying on statements that may have been obtained through coercion.
According to him, where evidence shows that a mob apprehended a suspected offender but deliberately refused to hand the person over to the police and instead caused the person’s death, members of the group could face homicide charges.
Rule of Law at the Centre of Debate
The debate over jungle justice comes amid continuing concerns about mob attacks in different parts of Nigeria.
The security group and the lawyer maintained that suspected criminals should be handed over to law-enforcement authorities rather than subjected to punishment by crowds.
They said protecting the rights of suspects does not mean excusing crime; rather, it ensures that allegations are tested through a lawful process and that those found guilty are punished according to the law.
