As IG Moves to Stop Mob Attacks in Nigeria

 Last week, the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, directed state police commands across Nigeria to treat every case of mob action as homicide, warning that anyone involved in jungle justice will face criminal prosecution.

Disu said the directive applies not only to those who physically assault or kill suspects, but also to individuals who organise, encourage or facilitate mob attacks.

The police chief’s warning followed a series of disturbing videos of alleged mob attacks circulating on social media, amid concerns over the continued prevalence of extrajudicial killings across the country.

He added that those who video the event and circulate them, and those who mobilize the crowd, or those who block the police from intervening, are liable.

Disu said Nigerian law provides for severe penalties for murder, citing Section 319 of the Criminal Code and Section 221 of the Penal Code. He also warned that criminal liability could extend to people who help organise or facilitate mob violence under Section 516 of the Criminal Code.

The IG’s statement comes against the backdrop of the July 26 killing of 25-year-old University of Jos graduate, Ibrahim Mbaya, popularly known as Ibee, who was reportedly attacked in Jos after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12.

He urged Nigerians to hand suspected criminals over to law enforcement authorities rather than taking matters into their own hands, adding that the new approach would involve detailed investigations using forensic and intelligence resources to identify and prosecute those responsible for mob violence.

Sadly, Nigeria is a country where a group of people can gather in broad daylight and kill anyone for religious or ethnic reasons and nobody will be brought to justice.

It is not as if the country does not have laws to prosecute people who engage in mob action of jungle justice. But each time it happens, the political class will shield the perpetrators from justice for religious reasons while the police will look away, and the menace will fester.

Now that the Nigeria police have woken up to its responsibility of protecting lives, Nigerians expect Disu to muster the political will to walk his talk.