IGP Declares Jungle Justice Homicide, Orders Nationwide Arrest of Mob Participants
IGP Declares Jungle Justice Homicide, Orders Nationwide Arrest of Mob Participants
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has directed commissioners of police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every case of jungle justice and mob action as homicide.
Disu also ordered the police to identify, arrest and prosecute all persons found to have participated in mob attacks, including those who plan, incite, mobilise or provide support for such acts.
The IGP gave the directive in a video released by the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday, warning that no community, vigilante group or association has the legal authority to arrest, try, convict or execute anyone based on suspicion, allegations, rumours or claims circulated on social media.
He said the police would no longer regard mob killings as spontaneous community reactions but as serious criminal offences requiring thorough investigation, forensic examination and prosecution.
“Jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such.
“Nigeria operates under the rule of law, not mob rule. No citizen, no community, no group has the right to try, sentence or execute another person,” Disu said.
The police chief said the constitutional rights to life, dignity and fair hearing applied to every Nigerian, including persons suspected of committing crimes.
He specifically cited Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which provide safeguards relating to life, dignity and fair hearing.
Disu stressed that suspicion or allegations could not be regarded as proof of guilt, noting that photographs, videos and social media reports could not substitute for proper police investigations and judicial proceedings.
He warned that anyone who unlawfully kills a suspected criminal could face murder charges, while those involved in planning or encouraging mob violence could also be held criminally liable.
“Anybody who plans, incites or encourages the mob by giving them support, even without laying a hand on the victim, is criminally liable,” the IGP said.
He added that persons who supported or facilitated mob killings could be investigated and prosecuted for conspiracy, depending on the circumstances.
Uromi Killings
Disu cited the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, as a grim example of the consequences of mob justice.
He said similar incidents had led to the deaths of Nigerians wrongly accused of offences ranging from phone theft and other criminal activities to blasphemy and alleged ritual practices.
According to him, such incidents demonstrate the dangers of allowing allegations and rumours to replace investigation and due process.
Consequently, he directed commissioners of police nationwide to investigate every case of mob action as homicide.
“I have directed all commissioners of police across the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT to treat every case of mob action as homicide, and they should investigate it like that.
“Full forensic and intelligence follow-up, no exception. We will identify, listen, arrest and prosecute not just the ringleaders but everybody available, everybody we can identify who took part in it,” Disu said.
He said investigators would rely on video recordings, eyewitness accounts, community intelligence and forensic evidence to identify suspects and establish their individual roles in mob attacks.
The IGP further warned Nigerians against using social media to facilitate mob violence, saying persons who mobilise crowds, circulate material to aid attacks or prevent security personnel from rescuing victims could face criminal consequences where their actions constitute an offence.
Police Officers Not Exempt
Disu also warned police officers that they would not be exempt from accountability.
He said officers who fail to intervene appropriately when confronted with mob violence could face disciplinary or criminal consequences, depending on the circumstances.
The directive comes amid recurring incidents of jungle justice across the country, in which suspects have been assaulted or killed before the police or courts could establish their guilt or innocence.
The IGP urged Nigerians to report suspected criminals to law enforcement agencies and allow investigators and the courts to determine their guilt.
He maintained that the fight against crime could not be used as justification for citizens to take the law into their own hands.
