By Mukhtar Sagir Dambatta, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In Nigeria, an accusation of theft can turn a calm crowd into a dangerous mob within minutes.

Someone shouts, “Ole!” “Barawo!” “Onyeoshi!” or “Thief!” and people begin to gather. Before anyone asks what happened or whether the allegation is true, sticks, stones, and other objects may become weapons.

By the time the police arrive, the accused person may already be badly injured or dead.

Jungle justice, or mob violence, is an illegal act where a crowd bypasses the legal system to punish a suspect without a fair trial or formal proof of guilt

The practice has continued in spite of the existence of courts, police and other institutions established to investigate crimes and administer justice.

One of the cases that brought the issue sharply into national focus was the killing of the “Aluu Four”.

In October 2012, four students of the University of Port Harcourt, Chiadika Biringa, Ugonna Obuzor, Lloyd Toku and Tekena Elkanah were attacked and killed in Aluu community, Rivers, after they were accused of stealing.

They were beaten and set ablaze by a mob. Images of the incident circulated widely, prompting public outrage and renewed calls for an end to mob justice.

But similar incidents have continued.

In March 2025, 16 travellers were killed by a mob in Uromi, Edo, after being accused of being kidnappers.

Reports identified the victims as hunters travelling from the South to the North.

President Bola Tinubu condemned the killings and directed security agencies to investigate the incident and prosecute those responsible.

The Uromi killings again raised concerns about what can happen when suspicion and fear replace investigation.

On July 26, 25-year-old Ibrahim Mbaya, popularly known as “Ibee”, was allegedly attacked by a mob in Jos, Plateau, after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12.

He was later taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

The Police Command in Plateau announced the arrest of suspects in connection with the incident.

Recently, the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olatunji Disu, gave a directive that jungle justice would be treated as homicide.

A security advocacy group, the Security Situation Room (SSR) backed the group described mob action as an invitation to anarchy.

The President of SSR, Mr Douglas Ogbankwa, said perpetrators of extra-judicial killings must be held accountable for their actions.

He said that the directive was timely, considering the spate of mob attacks and extra-judicial killings in the country.

“Of course, this directive is timely. Allowing people to resort to strong-arm tactics in solving criminal activities is an invitation to anarchy.

“It is like taking the country to the Hobbesian state of nature, where life was nasty, brutish and short.”

Ogbankwa said the existence of government could be traced to the social contract theory, under which citizens surrendered certain liberties to enable constituted authorities to govern and protect them.

He said allowing individuals to take the law into their hands would undermine the purpose of government and the rule of law.

“The reason we have a government is traceable to the social contract theory, where the people agree to have people who will govern, protect them and take care of their welfare.

“So, if individuals are allowed to have the liberty of taking the law into their hands, then that is simply taking us to the Stone Age without laws,” he said.

The convener noted that every society was governed by laws, adding that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) provided lawful avenues for resolving grievances.

He said the Police Act 2020 empowered the police to detect and investigate crimes and arrest those suspected of committing offences within their jurisdiction.

Ogbankwa consequently called for strict adherence to the I-G’s directive, adding that individuals must learn to be personally accountable for their actions or inactions.

On a similar note, a security analyst, Ahmed Umar, said the response to suspected crime should begin with reporting and investigation rather than punishment by a crowd.

“Allowing people to take the law into their own hands could result in the killing of innocent people who might later be found not to have committed any offence,’’ he said.

More so, a legal practitioner, Yusuf Aliyu Yusuf, said an accusation was not the same as proof of guilt.

He said the responsibility of determining whether a person had committed a crime belonged to the appropriate institutions established by law.

In his submission, Barau Kawu, a community leader, said communities also had a role to play in preventing mob attacks by discouraging rumours and immediately reporting suspected criminal activities to security agencies.

“Community members should avoid taking action based solely on allegations or information received from others,’’ he said.

Getting an accurate national figure for deaths resulting from jungle justice is difficult.

Human rights organisations and other researchers have documented hundreds of cases over the years, but the actual number is difficult to establish.

Many incidents, particularly in communities far from major towns, may never reach the police, courts or mainstream media.

Analysts say a major factor behind the practice is public distrust of law enforcement institutions.

Where citizens believe that suspects may escape justice or that criminal cases will not be handled effectively, some may become tempted to punish accused persons themselves.

The country’s worsening insecurity has also made people more suspicious of strangers and unfamiliar situations.

Kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes have affected communities across the country. In such an environment, suspicion can spread quickly.

Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution protects the right to life, subject to the exceptions stated in the Constitution.

The law provides for allegations to be investigated and suspects to be tried in court.

That process cannot be replaced by a crowd.

The danger is that the person being attacked may not even be responsible for the alleged offence.

“A stolen phone may have been misplaced; a misunderstanding may have been mistaken for criminal behaviour; a person may have been wrongly identified.

“Once a mob attack begins, however, there is often little opportunity for the truth to emerge; ending jungle justice will require more than condemning each incident after it happens.

“It will require proper investigations, prosecution of those responsible and greater confidences in the justice system.

“Citizens also need to understand that reporting a suspected crime is different from punishing a suspect.

“The police and courts have the responsibility to investigate allegations and determine guilt according to the law,’’ a social commentator said.

For communities, the challenge is to resist acting on rumours and accusations before the facts are known.

Experts agree that criminal accusations must be legally investigated and tried in court. When justice is taken into the streets, a mere accusation can instantly become an irreversible death sentence. (NANFeatures)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.