Jungle Justice Is Murder, Not Justice — IGP Disu Orders Nationwide Crackdown on Mob Killings

By Zagazola Makama

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has declared a firm war against jungle justice and mob action across Nigeria, directing Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every case of mob violence as homicide and investigate such incidents with the same seriousness accorded other killings.

Disu, in a strong-worded public address, on Sunday said no Nigerian, community, vigilante group or association had the legal authority to arrest, try, convict or execute another person on the basis of suspicion, accusation, rumour or social media evidence.

The IGP’s declaration comes amid renewed public concern over cases in which suspected criminals are subjected to beatings, burning, stabbing and other forms of extrajudicial punishment before security agencies can intervene.

He said the Police Force would no longer regard such incidents as mere community disputes or spontaneous public reactions, but as serious criminal offences requiring full investigation and prosecution.

“Jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such,” Disu said.

The police chief stressed that Nigeria operates under the rule of law and not mob rule, warning that no citizen or group has the constitutional authority to determine the guilt of another person or impose punishment outside a competent court.

‘Nobody has the right to take another person’s life’

According to the IGP, Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, guarantee fundamental rights including the right to life, dignity and fair hearing.

He said those rights remain applicable even when a person is suspected of committing a serious crime.

Disu argued that the growing practice of gathering around an alleged criminal, beating the person and sometimes killing him or her before the police arrive represents a direct assault on the country’s justice system.

He said an accusation does not amount to proof of guilt. A person shouting “thief”, a viral video, a photograph circulated online or an allegation made by a member of the public, he maintained, cannot replace a police investigation or judicial determination.

“The law presumes everybody innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not in the street, not by a mob, not by a phone video because you saw him in video,” he said.

The IGP cited the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, as a painful reminder of the consequences of mob justice.

The victims, who were reportedly travelling from Rivers State towards Kano, were intercepted after local security personnel found locally made weapons in their vehicle. The situation escalated after they were suspected of being kidnappers, resulting in the mob attack that claimed 16 lives. Police subsequently arrested suspects in connection with the incident.

The incident generated nationwide outrage and renewed calls for stronger action against mob killings. Amnesty International also called for a transparent investigation into the Uromi killings, describing the incident as a brutal lynching.

The IGP said Nigeria had witnessed several disturbing cases in which individuals were killed over allegations that were either unverified or subsequently found to be mistaken.

He referenced cases involving students accused of stealing phones, travellers mistaken for criminals, and young people attacked over allegations of blasphemy or ritual activities.

Such cases, he said, demonstrate the deadly consequences of allowing rumours and accusations to substitute for evidence.

The warning is particularly significant in an era where videos and allegations can spread rapidly across social media platforms.

A short video clip can be shared thousands of times within minutes, while an accusation attached to it can quickly become accepted as fact before investigators establish what actually happened.

Disu made clear that the police investigation would not stop with the individual who physically killed the victim.

He directed police commands to identify and prosecute ringleaders, instigators and other participants whose actions contributed to the mob violence, where the evidence supports criminal liability.

The IGP said investigators would use video recordings, eyewitness accounts, community intelligence and forensic evidence to reconstruct incidents and identify those involved.

The implication is that the traditional excuse of “I did not touch him” may not necessarily shield a person whose conduct amounts to criminal participation. Those who plan, incite, encourage or facilitate mob action may face investigation for conspiracy or other offences, depending on the facts and applicable law.

In one of the strongest elements of his warning, the IGP also addressed people who record mob attacks on their phones.

He said filming incidents, circulating the videos, mobilising crowds or preventing security personnel from rescuing a suspect could attract criminal consequences where such conduct amounts to an offence.

The warning is significant because videos of mob killings have increasingly become part of the evidence available to investigators.

Rather than helping perpetrators escape, such recordings can potentially provide investigators with a trail of evidence showing who was present, who attacked the victim, who encouraged the crowd and who prevented intervention.

The IGP therefore warned Nigerians against assuming that remaining behind a camera automatically removes them from criminal responsibility.

Police officers who look away will also face consequences. Disu’s directive was not directed exclusively at civilians.

He also placed responsibility on police officers who fail to intervene when mob action is taking place.

The IGP warned that officers who stand by, look away or fail to take reasonable action to protect a suspect from a violent crowd could face disciplinary measures.

This aspect of the directive is particularly important because the responsibility to protect life remains central to policing. A suspect may eventually be convicted. A suspect may eventually be acquitted. But while the investigation and trial are ongoing, the state remains responsible for protecting that person’s life and dignity.

Disu therefore told officers that protecting life was not an optional responsibility attached to wearing the police uniform.

‘Take suspected criminals to the police’

The IGP appealed to Nigerians to redirect their anger and frustration through lawful channels.

He urged anyone who suspects another person of committing a crime to immediately alert the police or the nearest security agency rather than attempting to punish the suspect.

He also called on community leaders, religious leaders, market associations and other influential groups to use their platforms to discourage mob violence.

According to him, community vigilance should complement law enforcement, not replace it.

A responsible community member, he said, should help the police identify a suspected criminal, preserve evidence and provide information—not become judge, jury and executioner.

The IGP’s intervention comes at a time when public frustration over insecurity, criminality and delays in the justice system can easily translate into demands for immediate punishment.

In many communities, jungle justice is sometimes rationalised as a response to the belief that criminals will escape justice if handed over to the authorities. But the police chief rejected that logic.

He acknowledged the frustration created by crime and the slow pace of justice but maintained that the answer to institutional weakness is reform and stronger enforcement, not extrajudicial killing.

A society cannot simultaneously demand respect for the rule of law while allowing crowds to determine who deserves to live or die.

Disu’s declaration is strong, but its ultimate impact will depend on enforcement.

The police will have to demonstrate that cases of mob justice can be investigated with the same determination applied to other homicide cases.

Investigators will have to identify suspects from often chaotic scenes, preserve digital evidence, obtain witness statements, establish individual culpability and work with prosecutors to build cases capable of surviving judicial scrutiny.

There is also the question of police response.
Where officers arrive early enough to prevent a mob killing, their intervention can mean the difference between a criminal investigation and a homicide investigation. Where officers fail to act, the IGP’s promise of disciplinary action will therefore be closely watched.

Perhaps the most important message from the IGP is that criminal responsibility does not necessarily begin only when the fatal blow is delivered.

It can begin with the decision to mobilise the crowd. It can begin with incitement. It can involve preventing the police from taking custody of a suspect. It can involve encouraging the attackers.

And, depending on the evidence and the law applicable to the particular conduct, it can extend to other forms of participation in the offence. The police are therefore drawing a new line around mob violence:

If you suspect someone, report them.
If you have evidence, submit it. If the person is arrested, allow the law to take its course.

But if a crowd gathers and turns an accusation into a death sentence, the people involved should not expect the law to describe the killing as “community justice.” It will be investigated as a crime.

The central message of IGP Disu’s declaration is ultimately about the kind of country Nigeria wants to be. One system of justice cannot operate in the courtroom while another operates on the street. The court must remain the place where guilt is established.

The police must remain the institution responsible for investigating crime. Citizens must remain witnesses, complainants and partners in crime prevention not executioners.

And communities must understand that protecting themselves from criminals does not require them to become criminals themselves.

The Uromi killings demonstrated the catastrophic consequences of allowing suspicion to become collective punishment. The IGP’s latest directive is an attempt to ensure that such incidents are neither normalised nor dismissed as spontaneous expressions of public anger.

The message from the police chief is therefore unequivocal: Jungle justice is not justice.
Mob action is not a court. A viral video is not a conviction. An accusation is not a death sentence.

And where a mob takes a person’s life, the police will treat the incident not as justice served, but as a crime to be investigated and prosecuted.

Jungle Justice Is Murder, Not Justice — IGP Disu Orders Nationwide Crackdown on Mob Killings