The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has issued a stern warning against jungle justice across Nigeria, cautioning that any individual involved in the summary execution of a criminal suspect will face murder charges.
In a video circulating on Tuesday, Disu directed state police commissioners across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every instance of mob action as homicide, ordering thorough forensic and intelligence investigations.
He noted that Nigeria adheres strictly to the rule of law rather than vigilantism. Under Sections 33, 34, and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, every citizen, including accused individuals, is guaranteed the rights to life, dignity, and a fair hearing.
“Nigeria operates under the rule of law, not mob rule,” Disu stated. “No citizen, no community, no group has the right to try, sentence or execute another person.”
The police chief stressed that social media claims or video clips do not constitute legal proof warranting street violence. He pointed to innocent individuals targeted over phone theft, mistaken identity, blasphemy, and ritual allegations. He specifically recalled the March 2025 lynching of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, calling the tragedy a horrific reminder of the consequences of extrajudicial violence.
“In a court of law, not in the streets, not by a mob, not by a phone video because you saw him in video,” he remarked, lamenting that “innocent people are dying daily on mere suspicion”.
While warning of broad legal consequences under the Criminal Code and Penal Code, Disu explained that criminal liability extends far beyond those who physically inflict harm. Individuals who organize, incite, encourage, or film mob violence, as well as those who share footage, gather crowds, or impede law enforcement intervention, face conspiracy and related criminal charges.
“Anybody who assaults or summarily executes a suspected criminal, you kill a suspected criminal, you are guilty of murder which is punishable by death,” Disu warned. He added that accomplices who encourage or assist attacks are equally culpable, stating that “anybody who plans, incites or encourages the mob… even without laying a hand on the victim is criminally liable.”
Disu reaffirmed that law enforcement will utilize eyewitness testimony, community intelligence, and digital footage to track down and prosecute all participants in mob attacks without exception.