Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has ordered a nationwide crackdown on jungle justice and mob killings.
He directed Commissioners of Police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every case of mob violence as a homicide.
Disu, who issued the directive in a strongly worded address on Sunday, warned that no individual, community, vigilante group or association has the legal authority to arrest, try, convict or execute anyone simply based on suspicion, rumours, accusations or social media content.
The IGP said the Nigeria Police Force would no longer dismiss mob attacks as spontaneous community reactions or disputes, stressing that such actions would be investigated as serious criminal offences and prosecute those responsible.
“Jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such,” Disu said.
He stressed that Nigeria operates under the rule of law and not mob rule, noting that the determination of guilt and punishment remains the responsibility of competent courts.
The IGP cited Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which protect the rights to life, dignity and fair hearing.
He said those rights remain applicable even when an individual is suspected of committing a crime.
According to him, an accusation does not amount to proof of guilt, while a viral video, photograph or allegation by a member of the public cannot replace police investigation and judicial determination.
“The law presumes everybody innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not in the street, not by a mob, not by a phone video because you saw him in video,” he said.
The IGP referenced the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, as a tragic example of the consequences of mob justice.
The travellers, who were reportedly heading from Rivers State to Kano, were intercepted after locally made weapons were allegedly discovered in their vehicle.
They were subsequently accused of being kidnappers before the situation escalated into a mob attack that claimed all 16 lives.
Police later arrested suspects in connection with the incident.
Disu also warned against similar incidents involving students accused of stealing phones, travellers mistaken for criminals and individuals attacked over allegations of blasphemy or ritual activities.
He said such cases spotlight the dangers of allowing rumours, unverified claims and social media narratives to replace evidence and due process.
The IGP therefore directed police commanders nationwide to ensure that perpetrators of mob killings are identified, arrested and prosecuted.
