Two Women Were Accused of Stealing a Wig and Phone. Does That Justify Jungle Justice?
Photo credit: DW.com
A disturbing video circulating on X has reopened an old Nigerian argument: is jungle justice in Nigeria ever justified?
The footage appears to show two women being severely beaten after they were accused of stealing a wig and a phone. The circumstances surrounding the incident have not been independently established. Neither should the women be declared guilty simply because a crowd accused them.
But the reaction to such videos often follows a familiar pattern. Some people condemn the violence. Others argue that thieves deserve whatever punishment they receive.
That argument misses the central issue.
What is jungle justice in Nigeria?
Jungle justice is the punishment of an alleged offender by individuals or a mob without a lawful investigation and trial.
It can take different forms.
A crowd may beat someone accused of stealing. People may strip and parade a suspect. In more extreme cases, mobs have burnt, stabbed or killed people over allegations.
It can also begin with something as simple as a phone recording or accusation.
Once a crowd accepts the allegation as fact, violence can quickly follow.
That is why jungle justice is dangerous. The punishment often comes before the evidence is properly tested.
Does catching a thief justify beating them?
No.
If the women in the viral video actually stole the items, stealing remains a crime. But the alleged offence does not give members of the public the power to decide and administer punishment.
The proper response is to report the matter to the police and preserve evidence.
Nigeria has a justice system for determining guilt and imposing punishment.
There is an important distinction between restraining a suspect and punishing a suspect.
A person who catches an alleged thief can alert the police and, in appropriate circumstances, help prevent the person from escaping. That is very different from beating the person until they are badly injured.
The moment the crowd begins administering punishment, it has moved beyond reporting a crime.
It has created another crime.
READ ALSO: “Jungle Justice Is Murder, Not Justice, IGP Disu Warns Nigerians”
What does Nigeria’s Constitution say?
The Nigerian Constitution does not give a mob the authority to determine a person’s guilt.
Section 33 protects the right to life. It states that no person should be intentionally deprived of life, except in circumstances recognised by law.
Section 34 also protects the dignity of the human person and prohibits torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.
Then comes one of the most important protections.
Section 36 guarantees the right to a fair hearing before a court or tribunal established by law. It also provides that a person charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
That principle matters even when an allegation appears obvious.
A video may show part of an incident. A witness may identify someone. A shop owner may accuse someone.
None of those automatically replaces a trial.
Jungle justice can punish the wrong person
This is where the danger becomes more serious.
Nigeria has repeatedly recorded cases in which people were attacked because of allegations that later proved false or were misunderstood.
In one recent case, police warned against mob justice after an angry crowd in Abuja assaulted a woman accused of attempting to steal a child.
The wider problem is well documented. Research on mob justice in Lagos found that such violence can violate the rights of both suspects and victims.
The risk is simple.
A crowd can get it wrong.
And when the crowd gets it wrong, there is no appeal against a beating that has already happened. There may be no second chance for someone who has been killed.
The police have called jungle justice homicide
The Nigerian Police Force has also taken a stronger position against mob violence.
Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu recently directed police commissioners nationwide to treat mob action as homicide. He warned communities, vigilante groups and individuals against taking the law into their own hands.
That warning should matter.
Nigerians have every right to be angry about theft, robbery and other crimes. Victims deserve justice. Suspects should also face the law when there is evidence against them.
But justice cannot mean allowing an angry crowd to decide who lives, who suffers and who deserves punishment.
The viral video of the two women should therefore prompt a harder question than whether they stole a wig or phone.
It should make Nigerians ask what kind of society they want to build.
One where an accusation is enough to justify violence?
Or one where even a suspected thief is handed over to the police, evidence is examined, guilt is established and punishment follows the law?
Jungle justice is not justice because the moment punishment comes before due process, the crowd is no longer defending the law. It is replacing it.
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