The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) guarantees every citizen fundamental rights, including the right to life, right to dignity of human person and the right to fair hearing and these rights are intended to protect every individual irrespective of the allegations made against them. Yet, in many parts of Nigeria, these constitutional safeguards are often abandoned and disregarded the moment the word “THIEF” is uttered and the constitutional guarantee is being replaced by a disturbing culture of lawlessness popularly known as JUNGLE JUSTICE. Mere suspicion or an unverified accusation is enough to provoke a frenzied mob into acting the police, prosecutor, judge and executioner, in that instant, the presumption of innocence disappears and due process is discarded.
This disturbing trend is highly against the provisions of the constitution and should not be condoned or applauded. Section 33 of the constitution guarantees the right to life and provided that no person shall be intentionally deprived of that right except in circumstances expressly permitted by law. Section 34 protects every individual from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment while section 36 guarantees the right to fair hearing by an independent and impartial court before any person can be found guilty of a criminal offence. These rights are not privileges reserved only to the innocent; they exist precisely to protect those who stand accused until their guilt is lawfully established, section 36(5) precisely established that a person charged with a criminal offence is considered innocent until proven guilty. Jungle justice is a blatant violation of each of these constitutional guarantees. The victim is denied the opportunity to be heard, to challenge the allegations, to be represented by a lawyer or to be charged to court, instead, guilt is presumed, punishment is immediate and the sentence is often death. Such actions do not merely constitute an assault on the victim but also amount to an assault on the constitution itself and the rule of law. No matter the seriousness of the allegation or how convincing the public suspicion may appear, the constitution does not recognize trial by mob.
Many Nigerians have lost confidence in the ability of the criminal justice system to deliver timely and effective justice cases such as delayed investigations, inadequate policing and corruption, for some people mob justice appears to offer immediate consequences. However, these frustrations cannot justify unlawful killings. Today, the victim may be a suspected thief, tomorrow, it may be a passerby falsely accused or it could even be a person target out of personal malice. Once rule of law is abandoned, no citizen remains truly safe. The recent killing of 25-year-old graduate of the university of Jos is yet another painful reminder of how dangerously normalized jungle justice has become in Nigeria. Accused of stealing an iPhone, Ibrahim was allegedly subjected to hours of brutal torture by a mob rather than being handed over to the police for investigation. Ibrahim’s deaths beg a troubling and disturbing question: When did allegation and suspicion become equivalent to a conviction? The tragedy is compounded by the fact that Ibrahim’s case is not an isolated incident, it echoes the horrifying killing of David Imoh in Lagos in 2022, the killing of Martina Okey in Cross-River in 2023 and several other mob attacks. The victims differ, the allegations vary but the pattern remains disturbingly the same: suspicion is mistaken for proof, anger replace reason and the mob delivers a sentence from which there is no appeal. Every act of jungle justice is not merely unlawfully killing, it is a public disregard of the constitution and rule of law. It sends a dangerous message that the courts and due process is irrelevant and that the loudest crowd has greater authority than law itself. A society that embraces such mindset and condone such actions risk descending into anarchy where anyone can become the next victim of rumor, mistaken identity or malicious accusation.
Beyond violating constitutional rights, jungle justice also constitutes serious criminal conduct under Nigeria law, individuals who participate in beating or killing suspected offenders expose themselves to criminal liability. Depending on the circumstances, such individuals can be prosecuted for murder, assault or arson under the criminal code or penal code. The fact that a victim was suspected of committing an offence does not provide legal justification for taking law into one’s hands. The Supreme Court’s decision in Olabode v State (2009) 11 NWLR (Pt1152) 254 underscores a fundamental principle; suspicion of theft does not justify unlawful violence. In this case the appellant believing the deceased has stolen his petrol took the law into his own hands by setting the deceased ablaze. The supreme court affirmed his conviction for murder and upheld the sentence demonstrating that self-help and extrajudicial punishment are grave offences.
To combat this occurrence of jungle justice in Nigeria, public education is essential as citizens must understand that apprehending a suspect is fundamentally different from punishing one. Where members of the public witness the commission of an offence, their responsibility is to report the matter to the police or hand the suspect over to the nearest law enforcement agency. The law does not confer upon private citizens the power to determine guilt or impose punishment.
The constitution promises justice through law and that promise must be defended not only by judges and lawyers but by every Nigerian who believes that the life, dignity and liberty of every human being is worth protecting.
Irodi Chika Judith is a Nigerian lawyer and writer with a growing interest in public interest law, civil liberties, human rights, and social justice. Her work explores legal and societal issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, with a particular focus on accountability, access to justice, and the need for stronger institutions. She is passionate about using legal knowledge and public advocacy to contribute to meaningful social change.
