Inspector General of Police, Tunde Disu, has issued a stern warning against jungle justice, declaring that anyone who assaults or kills a suspect through mob action will face prosecution for homicide. Disu said the directive was necessary to curb the growing incidence of extrajudicial killings across Nigeria.
The police chief gave the warning in a video circulating on social media and monitored by Vanguard, where he cited relevant provisions of Nigerian law and announced fresh operational directives to police commands nationwide. His address came amid the circulation of videos showing alleged mob attacks in different parts of the country.
The IGP said mob action could no longer be justified as a form of community justice. He referred to Sections 319 and 221 of the Criminal and Penal Codes respectively, noting that the provisions deal with murder.
Disu also cited Section 516 of the Criminal Code, which addresses conspiracy. According to him, anyone who takes part in the unlawful killing of a suspected criminal could face serious criminal consequences.
“Anybody who assaults or summarily executes a suspected criminal in the name of mob action is guilty of murder.”
He said the law also extends beyond the individuals who physically attack or kill a victim.
Disu warned that people who encourage or facilitate mob attacks could equally face prosecution. He specifically mentioned individuals who mobilise crowds, obstruct police intervention or record and distribute footage of the violence.
“Those who video the event and circulate them, those who take pictures and circulate them, and those who mobilize the crowd, or those who block the police from intervening, all of them are liable.”
The IGP said such actions could amount to conspiracy to commit murder, attracting a possible prison sentence under the law.
Disu said he had directed Commissioners of Police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every case of mob action as homicide.
He ordered full investigations using available forensic and intelligence capabilities. According to him, the police would identify everyone involved and ensure that suspects were prosecuted where evidence established their culpability.
“We are not going to spare anybody who is involved in mob action.”
He also promised that investigations would be thorough and that cases would be taken before the courts.
The warning followed renewed public concern over alleged mob attacks circulating online. One case highlighted amid the growing concern was the death of 25-year-old University of Jos graduate Ibrahim Mbaya, popularly known as Ibee. Mbaya was reportedly attacked in Jos on July 26 after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12. Police have subsequently arrested suspects in connection with the incident.
The IGP’s intervention also followed the spread of distressing footage allegedly showing people being attacked by mobs. Some videos showed groups assaulting individuals in residential areas, while another clip reportedly identified a location as Ekosodin, University of Benin, with an individual labelled a thief.
Other footage showed crowds gathered around a boat near a riverbank. The rapid circulation of such material online has continued to generate public outrage and calls for stronger action against mob violence.
Jungle justice remains a recurring concern in Nigeria, often linked to public distrust of law-enforcement and judicial processes.
Human rights advocates have repeatedly called for perpetrators of mob violence to be prosecuted while urging authorities to improve the speed and effectiveness of criminal investigations. With the latest directive, the Nigeria Police is signalling that mob killings will receive the same investigative attention as other serious homicide cases.
The police therefore urged citizens who suspect individuals of committing crimes to hand them over to the appropriate authorities rather than taking the law into their own hands. Disu stressed that criminal suspects must be subjected to due process and that no individual or group has the authority to impose punishment outside the law.
