Stakeholders are voicing growing concerns over the surge in mob justice incidents across Nigeria, warning that this trend endangers national security, erodes rule of law, and undermines trust in the country’s criminal justice system.
In recent weeks, mob killings have become disturbingly frequent.
According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), there have been numerous incidents where alleged offenders were brutally attacked or killed by mobs, bypassing due legal processes.
Among the incidents highlighted was the Oct. 1 killing of a man accused of cable theft in Lagos, where he was reportedly strangled with copper wire. Other cases include the burning of a police station and suspects in Edo on Oct. 13, the killing of a motorcycle theft suspect in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Oct. 14, and the lynching of a 19-year-old man for alleged theft on Nov. 2 in Abuja.
Security experts, legal practitioners, and law enforcement have all condemned the rise in mob justice.
“The killing of a person for a crime without due process is barbaric and should be condemned,” said Mr. Olaniyi Daniel, head of Premier Guard Security Ltd, in an interview.
He noted that such actions project an image of Nigeria as a lawless society and stressed that the government and police must address the issue urgently.
Mr. Emmanuel Ajayi, a legal practitioner, emphasized the need to uphold the right to life as enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.
He cited Section 315 of the Criminal Code Act, which defines unlawful killing as murder, adding that mob killings often result from frustration with the justice system.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, expressed similar concerns, describing mob justice as “deplorable and savage.”
In an Oct. 20 statement, he warned that it undermines justice, human rights, and the rule of law.