AfriqueCAN:
AUTHORITIES in Nigeria have said that anyone who takes the law into their own hands by engaging in mob action, leading to the killing of another, will face the death sentence.
The country’s Inspector-General of Police, Tunde Disu warned that anyone who assaults or kills a suspect through what is popularly known as jungle justice will be prosecuted for murder.
“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 Nigerian police boss added in a viral video, 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 said 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.
The directive follows 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.
“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.
