The Inspector-General of Police, Tunde Disu, has warned Nigerians against taking the law into their own hands, declaring that anyone who assaults or kills a suspect through mob action, popularly known as jungle justice, will face murder charges.
Speaking in a viral video, the IGP said mob justice can no longer be excused as community action, stressing that those involved in such acts risk the death penalty under Nigerian law.
“Anybody who assaults or summarily executes a suspected criminal in the name of mob action is guilty of murder. And the punishment for murder is death,” Disu stated.
The police chief also warned that those who incite, organise, film, circulate videos of mob attacks, or prevent police intervention could be prosecuted for conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Disu revealed that he has directed Commissioners of Police across the 36 states and the FCT to treat every case of mob action as homicide and conduct full-scale investigations using available forensic and intelligence tools.
“We are not going to spare anybody who is involved in mob action. We will do a thorough investigation, and we will take them to court,” he said.
The inspector’s directive comes amid growing concerns over extrajudicial killings, including the recent death of 25-year-old University of Jos graduate Ibrahim Mbaya, who was allegedly beaten to death after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12.
The Nigeria Police urged citizens to report suspects to law enforcement agencies instead of resorting to violence.
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