The Lagos State Police Command has warned residents against jungle justice, stressing that mob action resulting in serious injury or death is a criminal offence that could lead to charges of murder or manslaughter.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, on Tuesday September 8, issued the warning following the killing of a man by a mob on Lagos Island after a road accident. The victim was reportedly two weeks away from his wedding.
Adebisi said determining whether a person had committed a crime was the responsibility of the police and the courts. She reminded residents that the Constitution guarantees the rights to life, dignity, liberty and fair hearing, as well as the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.
She warned that anyone who participates in beating, stabbing, burning or otherwise attacking a suspected offender could become a suspect themselves. The command urged residents to report suspected crimes to the police, provide useful information and prevent suspects from escaping without taking the law into their own hands.
Adebisi also appealed to witnesses of mob attacks to seek immediate help instead of merely recording the incidents with their phones. She assured residents that the command, under Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani, would investigate cases of jungle justice and pursue justice for victims and their families in accordance with the law.
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