Inspector-General of Police Tunde Disu has warned Nigerians against taking the law into their own hands, declaring that people who assault or kill suspects through mob action, commonly known as jungle justice, will face murder charges.
Speaking in a viral video, Disu said mob justice could no longer be treated as community action, stressing that those involved in such killings could face the maximum penalty prescribed for murder under Nigerian law.
The IGP also warned that people who incite, organise, record or circulate videos of mob attacks, or obstruct police officers from intervening, could face prosecution for offences including conspiracy.
Disu said he had directed Commissioners of Police across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat cases of mob action as homicide and conduct comprehensive investigations using forensic and intelligence resources.
“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 directive comes amid renewed concerns over extrajudicial killings, including the reported death of 25-year-old University of Jos graduate Ibrahim Mbaya, who was allegedly attacked after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12.
The Nigeria Police urged citizens to hand suspected criminals over to law enforcement authorities rather than resorting to violence.
