The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has ordered a nationwide crackdown on jungle justice and mob action, directing police commissioners across Nigeria to treat every case of mob violence as homicide.
Disu issued the directive in a video shared on the official X handle of the Nigeria Police Force.
He said no community, vigilante group or association has the legal authority to arrest, try, convict or execute anyone based on suspicion, allegations, rumours or evidence circulated on social media.
“Jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such. It is illegal. Nigeria operates under the rule of law, not mob rule. No citizen, no community, no group has the right to try, sentence or execute another person,” Disu said.
The IGP cited Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee the rights to life, dignity and fair hearing, stressing that these protections apply even to suspects.
He said allegations, suspicion, photographs and videos cannot replace police investigations and judicial proceedings, adding that anyone who kills a suspected criminal could face a murder charge.
‘Mob Leaders Will Be Prosecuted’
Disu also warned people who plan, incite or encourage mob attacks that they could face criminal liability even if they do not physically assault the victim.
He cited Section 319 of the Criminal Code and Section 221 of the Penal Code, saying unlawful killing could amount to murder or manslaughter depending on the circumstances.
According to him, people who support or participate in such attacks could also face conspiracy charges, with severe penalties under Nigerian law.
The IGP referred to the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, as an example of the deadly consequences of mob justice.
He said similar incidents had led to the deaths of students accused of stealing phones, travellers mistaken for criminals and young people targeted over allegations of blasphemy or ritual activities.
“I have directed all commissioners of police across the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT to treat every case of mob action as homicide, and they should investigate it like that,” Disu said.
“Full forensic and intelligence follow-up, no exception. We will identify, listen, arrest and prosecute not just the ringleaders but everybody available, everybody we can identify who took part in it.”
The police chief said investigators would use video footage, eyewitness accounts, community intelligence and forensic evidence to identify those involved in mob attacks.
He also warned that recording or circulating footage of attacks, mobilising crowds or preventing security personnel from rescuing suspects could attract criminal consequences where such actions constitute offences.
Disu added that police officers could also be held accountable if they fail to intervene in mob violence.
IGP Tunji Disu speaking on the Nigeria Police Force crackdown on jungle justice and mob action
