The International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, has warned that women, children and other vulnerable persons face heightened risks of wrongful accusations, physical and sexual violence and other forms of exploitation when communities resort to jungle justice.
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Chairperson of the FIDA Plateau State Chapter, Naankus Fyaktu, raised the concern while reacting to the alleged mob killings of Ibrahim Mbaya in Jos, Plateau State, and Ummulkhairi in Mararaban Jos, Kaduna State.
Mbaya was reportedly tortured to death on July 26 at an off-campus residence in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State following allegations that he stole an iPhone 12.
Ummulkhairi was also reportedly tortured on June 21 after being accused of child kidnapping.
Reacting to the incidents, Fyaktu said women and children were particularly vulnerable when allegations of wrongdoing escalated into mob violence because they could more easily become victims of false accusations, physical assault, sexual violence and exploitation.
She described jungle justice as an illegal form of extrajudicial punishment in which a mob beats, tortures or kills a person suspected of committing an offence without allowing the person to undergo a lawful investigation and trial.
“The human rights consequences of jungle justice is that it violates the right to life, fair hearing, dignity and due process as enshrined in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) and other international and regional legal frameworks,” she said.
Fyaktu said misinformation, rumours and unverified social media reports were among the factors that could transform accusations into mob action.
She also identified anger, hatred, vindictive accusations and declining public confidence in the police and justice system as factors contributing to the problem.
According to her, the desire to punish an accused person immediately often encourages members of the public to take the law into their own hands, with allegations sometimes wrongly treated as proof of guilt.
She warned that jungle justice does not affect only the immediate victim, as families could also suffer severe consequences, including grief, psychological trauma, financial hardship and social stigma.
The impact could be particularly devastating where the victim was the family’s breadwinner.
“It also creates fear, promotes lawlessness, weakens trust in the justice system and can trigger retaliation, self-help or further violence,” she said.
The FIDA chairperson urged victims of mob violence and families of deceased victims to report such cases to the police and demand proper investigation and prosecution of those responsible.
She said victims and their families could also consider civil proceedings to seek compensation or damages where appropriate.
According to her, persons who participate in jungle justice could face criminal charges including murder, culpable homicide, assault, unlawful assembly and other offences, depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding each incident.
Fyaktu called for stronger policing, improved public education, rapid-response mechanisms and greater access to justice as part of measures required to reduce mob violence across the country.
She urged law enforcement agencies to respond promptly to allegations of crime, protect accused persons and victims, tackle misinformation and ensure that persons responsible for mob attacks are arrested and prosecuted.
The FIDA chairperson also called on community and traditional leaders to actively discourage residents from taking the law into their own hands.
“Community and traditional leaders should also actively discourage taking the law into one’s hands,” she said.
She further urged civil society and human rights organisations, including the Justice Sector Reform team, Nigerian Bar Association, FIDA and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, to intensify public enlightenment on the illegality and consequences of jungle justice and other forms of human rights violations.
“The sensitisation should cover mob action, jungle justice and all forms of human rights violations,” Fyaktu said.
She maintained that rebuilding public confidence in the police, courts and other lawful institutions remained critical to preventing communities from resorting to self-help whenever allegations of criminal conduct arose.
According to FIDA, no allegation, irrespective of how serious, removes an accused person’s constitutional rights to life, dignity, fair hearing and due process, while anyone suspected of an offence should be handed over to the appropriate authorities rather than subjected to mob punishment.
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