Tunji Disu, the inspector-general of police, has ordered a nationwide crackdown on jungle justice and mob action.

Speaking in a video posted on the X handle of the Nigeria Police Force, Disu directed police commissioners in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to treat every case of mob violence as homicide.

The IGP said no Nigerian community, vigilante group or association had the legal authority to arrest, try, convict or execute a person based on suspicion, accusation, rumour or social media evidence.

“Jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such. It is illegal. Nigeria operates under the rule of law, not mob rule. No citizen, no community, no group has the right to try, sentence or execute another person,” Disu said.

“Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, have guarantees for every Nigerian, even a suspect, the right to life, dignity and fair hearing. Mob action violates the victim’s right to life, to dignity and to a fair hearing.”

The IGP said the law presumes every person innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, noting that suspicion, allegations, photographs or videos cannot replace proper investigation and judicial proceedings.

He warned that those who kill suspected criminals could face murder charges and severe punishment under Nigerian law.

“The punishment is severe, and it will be enforced. Anybody who assaults or summarily executes a suspected criminal is guilty of murder, which is punishable by death,” he said.

“Section 319 of the Criminal Code and section 221 of the Penal Code are very clear about this. Any person who unlawfully kills another person is guilty of murder or manslaughter, depending on the circumstances.

“Anybody who plans, incites or encourages the mob by giving them support, even without laying a hand on the victim, is criminally liable.

“Those who merely share, who support the acts, can be charged with conspiracy or will be charged with conspiracy to murder, and this carries 14 years’ imprisonment.”

Disu cited the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo state, as a reminder of the consequences of mob justice.

He said similar incidents had resulted in people being killed over unverified allegations, including students accused of stealing phones, travellers mistaken for criminals, and young people attacked over allegations of blasphemy or ritual activities.

“I have directed all commissioners of police across the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT to treat every case of mob action as homicide, and they should investigate it like that,” Disu said.

“Full forensic and intelligence follow-up, no exception. We will identify, listen, arrest and prosecute not just the ringleaders but everybody available, everybody we can identify who took part in it.”

He said investigators would rely on video recordings, eyewitness accounts, community intelligence and forensic evidence to identify perpetrators.

Disu said recording mob attacks, circulating videos, mobilising crowds or preventing security personnel from rescuing suspects could attract criminal consequences where such conduct amounts to an offence.

The IGP added that police officers could be held accountable for failing to intervene in mob action.