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Jungle Justice or Mob Justice is a practice that has become rampant in different parts of Africa.Wikipedia defines it as a form of public extra judicial killings. With particular reference to Nigeria and Cameroon.


It is also known as "self-help". Whereby the mob take laws into their hands and administer Justice to a suspect who according to them is guilty by mere accusation not backed up with concrete proof, evidence and prosecution in the court of law. Mere accusation(s) not backed up with enough credible and concrete evidence cannot indict a person accused of commiting a criminal offence .Any person alleged to have committed an act enjoys the Constitutional right of presumption of innocence,and the power to determine the guilt of such person is vested in the Judiciary arm of government and not the people.


In administering jungle Justice ,the victim is either beaten during which life threatening injuries may be inflicted or burnt alive while the mob watch in excitement as the victim writhes in the fire and the smell of the burning flesh fills the air.
While several machineries have been put in place by the state,it is saddening to say that little achievement has been achieved as Jungle Justice still thrives in some part of the country. The question which should be on the lips of every patriotic citizen of Nigeria is "Who is to be blamed for the insignificant achievement of these machineries?" Of course ,everyone will be quick to answer "The state". However we should not shy away from the fact that some of us are also to be blamed. In 2012, pictures of Four uniport students flooded the internet.The mob denied them their rights to fair hearing and they wasted no time in creating a non -fictional scene where they were burnt beyond recognition. This sparked a wild cry across the country from the citizens and even the state condemning such inhumane and barbaric act. But did this mark the end of Mob Justice in Nigeria? No. Infact,series of such barbaric, inhumane, despicable act have taken place after then.


It sufficies to say that a society springs out from a collection of individuals who obviously must have come from a family. According to Sociology,the family is the smallest unit of the Society. Following this to a logical conclusion reveals that series of families with different ideologies,moral upbringing, backgrounds make up a society or a state. Now the question is,what happens when some of these families are dysfunctional? Obviously,such a society is on a voyage to it's state of nature. One cannot put something on nothing because there is nothing to receive the something. How then can the Criminal Administration System be at the fore front when some of the citizens due to some reasons have refused to adhere to the laws and blatantly flouted them with impunity?


Part of the catalysts fuelling Jungle Justice is the absence of faith,trust and confidence in the State by the citizens. A closer look at the relationship between the State and the citizens reveals that some elements of fiduciary relationship exists.Here,the State is held to be in a higher position and trust, confidence and faith is reposed in them by the citizens. But then,what happens when this is destroyed? They care less and become rebellious and thus flout rules with impunity.
Areas where the State has been performing below expectations from the Citizens are but not limited to:

a. Non speedy trial of cases: It is believed that "Justice delayed is Justice to denied". Most times parties have to wait for ages before justice is served to both parties. For instance, perpetrators of the Aluu Killings were brought to book in 2017, 5 years after the incident. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and hitches from the state, people resort to self help.

b. Corrupt and dishonest officers saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order: With the unfavourable reports about some scrupulous officers asking for "mobilization fees" before they commence action,how suspects are set free immediately their palms have been greased has registered a lot of concern in the minds of the citizens and has left the Citizens to see them as "toothless bull dogs".



c.Illiteracy and ignorance:
Nigerians are really lagging behind in the modern world today. A significant percentage of the population are illiterates if not Stark illiterates. Illiteracy in this context is not only the absence of the ability to write and read but also the absence of having an informed mind. It's a double jeopardy for one to be an illiterate and at the same time ignorant although both often accompany each other. How do these legal machineries criminalizing Jungle justice work when some citizens do not even know about their existence or even doubt their effectiveness? The State really has a lot to do in educating Nigerians!
This brings us to the conclusion that both the State and the Citizens have a lot to do in sending Jungle Justice packing from this country.The judiciary should be more responsive and adequate measures should be put in place to quicken trial of cases. The elements of Transperacy,Fairness and Accountability should be highlighted. Justice must not only be done,but must be seen to be done to all parties. With this,Faith, confidence and Trust will be restored in the government.



Mass Education condemning Jungle Justice and prescribing siff punishment for indulging in such should be extended to every citizens in the urban and rural areas. Ignorantia juris non excusat( Ignorance of the law is not an excuse) should ring a bell in the ears of all the Citizens.
Also,the Citizens are not left out. Proper moral values should be inculcated in the minds of the younger generation to shun social vices and never to indulge in Jungle Justice.
JUNGLE JUSTICE IS NOT AN OPTION AND WILL NEVER BE AN OPTION!
ENOUGH OF THE BARBARIC KILLINGS!

There is room for comments, suggestions and criticisms.

I will share my view later

fairheart:
I will share my view later

why not now?

vvs

dollynnn:

why not now?

Because this subject requires a fair assessment. More so, it is complicated. But I'd still love to share what I think about it with you.

fairheart:

Because this subject requires a fair assessment. More so, it is complicated. But I'd still love to share what I think about it with you.

Looking forward to that

Violence and jungle justice is not the best

There are agencies put in place to handle criminal cases.

Allow them do their job.

However, sometimes these agencies fail in their responsibilities which makes the citizens to take laws into their hands.

ggirl4real:
Violence and jungle justice is not the best

There are agencies put in place to handle criminal cases.

Allow them do their job.

However, sometimes these agencies fail in their responsibilities which makes the citizens to take laws into their hands.

you are right. We can't shy away from the fact that failure of these agencies often make the citizens take laws into their hands

dollynnn:
Jungle Justice or Mob Justice is a practice that has become rampant in different parts of Africa.Wikipedia defined it as a form of public extra judicial killings. With particular reference to Nigeria and Cameroon.
Over the years,it has been used as self-help , whereby the mob take laws into their hands and administer Justice to a suspect who according to them is guilty by mere accusation not backed up with concrete proof, evidence and prosecution in the court of law. Mere accusation not backed up with enough credible and concrete evidence cannot indict a person accused of commiting an Act.Any person alleged to have committed an act enjoys the Constitutional right of presumption of innocence,and the power to determine the guilt of such person is vested in the Judiciary arm of government and not the people.
In administering jungle Justice by the mob,the victim is either beaten during which life threatening injuries may be inflicted or burnt alive while the mob watch in excitement as the victim writes in the fire and the smell of the burning flesh fills the air.
While several machineries have been put in place by the state,it is saddening to say that little achievement has been achieved as Jungle Justice still thrives in some part of the country. The question which should be on the lips of every patriotic citizen of Nigeria is "Who is to be blamed for the insignificant achievement of these machineries?" Of course ,everyone will be quick to answer "The state". However we should not shy away from the fact that some of us are also to be blamed. In 2012, pictures of Four uniport students flooded the internet.The mob denied them their rights to fair hearing and they wasted no time in creating a non fictional scene where they were burnt beyond recognition. This sparked a wild cry across the country from the citizens and even the state condemning such inhumane and barbaric act. But did this mark the end of Mob Justice in Nigeria? No. Infact,series of such barbaric, inhumane, despicable act have taken place after then.
It sufficies to say that a society springs out from a collection of individuals who obviously must have come from a family. According to Sociology,the family is the smallest unit of the Society.Following this to a logical conclusion ,reveals that series of families with different ideologies,moral upbringing, backgrounds make up a society or a state. Now the question is,what happens if some of these families are Dysfunctional? Obviously,such a society is on a voyage to it's state of nature. One cannot put something on nothing because there is nothing to receive the something. How then can the Criminal Administration System be at the fore front when some of the citizens due to some reasons have refused to adhere to the laws and blatantly flouted them with impunity?
Part of the catalysts fuelling Jungle Justice is Lack of faith,trust and confidence in the State itself.A closer look at the relationship between the State and the citizens reveals that some elements of fiduciary relationship exists.Here,the State is held to be in the higher position and trust, confidence and faith is reposed in them by the citizens. But then,what happens when this is destroyed? They care less and become rebellious and thus flout rules with impunity.
Areas where the State has been performing below expectations from the Citizens are but not limited to:

Hey, I'm sorry that this is coming late. I see your assessment of the subject matter and I was wondering if you are a lawyer or a law student? Also, have you witnessed jungle justice before? I have asked these questions because your choice of words show concern and sympathy towards victims and potential victims of this horrible act. I look forward to your answers to these questions.

"Who is to be blamed for the insignificant achievement of these machineries?"

Although after reading the entire piece, I see you have indeth understanding of the cause of jungle justice and I feel there's nothing much I can say other than share my own thought with you.

On who to blame, well, this is a difficult question to answer. But I think the blame is on all of us. As you have said, home or family is what makes a society. Everything we have become as a society and nation can be traced back to the family and home that produces us as citizens. So, to remove the menace of jungle justice, we have to go back home and examine how we are parenting and the value system we are using. Nigerians believe that if a person is caught in a criminal act, it is true that the person is a criminal, even when there's no immediate and credible evidence to back this up. Why? Because we are a people without faith in ourselves.

Distrust, poverty-induced anger, and the belief that every man walking on the street is a criminal waiting to be caught, are some of the fundamental drives behind jungle justice. An average police will tell you that you're a criminal until proven otherwise. Imagine a statement like this and its effect on illiterate Nigerians. At home, most of our parents did not learn the art of listening and investigating. Couple with poverty-induce anger and, as you have said, illiteracy, many Nigerians are a living danger. They are harbouring destructive anger that they vent when they see a suspect of criminal act. It is as if the perpetrator of jungle justice have been nursing desire for the act prior the moment a victim falls in their hands. Before, it usually shock me when I see people executing jungle justice without credible facts gathered from deep and unbiased investigation. But over the years, I realise that it will continue so long there's still poverty, illiteracy, poor justice system, and endemic corruption in the security sector, and delayed sentence of convicted criminals. King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:11 that because the sentence against an evil act is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Although they party, get together, and talk about their common enemies in politics, Nigerians have lost faith in themselves. Yet, faith is an important quality in planning, creating and sustaining a thriving and law-abiding society. In this part of the world, Nigerians don't believe in their justice system, nor do they hope that justice and truth can come from that quater. Again, we have to go back home and assess how we do parenting: because this is one of the monumental acts that engineered our woes in Nigeria.

So what do we do? My dear, inside-out education is the answer. By inside-out, I mean the type of education that is inculcated by parents at home, by teachers in our schools, by our religious houses, and by example from people elected into our public offices. This education must happen at the centre of these places. But to do that, we need faith: believing in what we have not seen. Do I believe that if I teach my children to trust the justice system there will be a positive change in how he sees the justice system in the future? Do I see the possibility of change in the youths of tomorrow if we teach students today how to be good citizens? Are we earnest enough to pursue this cause? Faith!!! If we don't have faith, we cannot pursue the solutions to our problems, which has been the case in every sector we have failed in Nigeria. We simply lack faith, and so, no commitment to pursue the kind of change we deeply desire as a people and a nation. The solution is with us.

Jungle justice can stop, but are we ready? Some of the questions I ask myself as a single person is: What type of father will I be when I become a father? How am I grooming myself to become this type of father? Am I preparing to be a father that raises a successful citizen? This has been guiding my belief and value system. Although I am not perfect, there's hope that if young Nigerians walk on same direction, we can raise children that will become better citizens tomorrow.

Thank you for the opportunity to share what I think with you.
By the way, your writing skill is commendable.

fairheart:




Hey, I'm sorry that this is coming late. I see your assessment of the subject matter and I was wondering if you are a lawyer or a law student? Also, have you witnessed jungle justice before? I have asked these questions because your choice of words show concern and sympathy towards victims and potential victims of this horrible act. I look forward to your answers to these questions.

"Who is to be blamed for the insignificant achievement of these machineries?"

Although after reading the entire piece, I see you have indeth understanding of the cause of jungle justice and I feel there's nothing much I can say other than share my own thought with you.

On who to blame, well, this is a difficult question to answer. But I think the blame is on all of us. As you have said, home or family is what makes a society. Everything we have become as a society and nation can be traced back to the family and home that produces us as citizens. So, to remove the menace of jungle justice, we have to go back home and examine how we are parenting and the value system we are using. Nigerians believe that if a person is caught in a criminal act, it is true that the person is a criminal, even when there's no immediate and credible evidence to back this up. Why? Because we are a people without faith in ourselves.

Distrust, poverty-induced anger, and the belief that every man walking on the street is a criminal waiting to be caught, are some of the fundamental drives behind jungle justice. An average police will tell you that you're a criminal until proven otherwise. Imagine a statement like this and its effect on illiterate Nigerians. At home, most of our parents did not learn the art of listening and investigating. Couple with poverty-induce anger and, as you have said, illiteracy, many Nigerians are a living danger. They are harbouring destructive anger that they vent when they see a suspect of criminal act. It is as if the perpetrator of jungle justice have been nursing desire for the act prior the moment a victim falls in their hands. Before, it usually shock me when I see people executing jungle justice without credible facts gathered from deep and unbiased investigation. But over the years, I realise that it will continue so long there's still poverty, illiteracy, poor justice system, and endemic corruption in the security sector, and delayed sentence of convicted criminals. King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:11 that because the sentence against an evil act is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Although they party, get together, and talk about their common enemies in politics, Nigerians have lost faith in themselves. Yet, faith is an important quality in planning, creating and sustaining a thriving and law-abiding society. In this part of the world, Nigerians don't believe in their justice system, nor do they hope that justice and truth can come from that quater. Again, we have to go back home and assess how we do parenting: because this is one of the monumental acts that engineered our woes in Nigeria.

So what do we do? My dear, inside-out education is the answer. By inside-out, I mean the type of education that is inculcated by parents at home, by teachers in our schools, by our religious houses, and by example from people elected into our public offices. This education must happen at the centre of these places. But to do that, we need faith: believing in what we have not seen. Do I believe that if I teach my children to trust the justice system there will be a positive change in how he sees the justice system in the future? Do I see the possibility of change in the youths of tomorrow if we teach students today how to be good citizens? Are we earnest enough to pursue this cause? Faith!!! If we don't have faith, we cannot pursue the solutions to our problems, which has been the case in every sector we have failed in Nigeria. We simply lack faith, and so, no commitment to pursue the kind of change we deeply desire as a people and a nation. The solution is with us.

Jungle justice can stop, but are we ready? Some of the questions I ask myself as a single person is: What type of father will I be when I become a father? How am I grooming myself to become this type of father? Am I preparing to be a father that raises a successful citizen? This has been guiding my belief and value system. Although I am not perfect, there's hope that if young Nigerians walk on same direction, we can raise children that will become better citizens tomorrow.

Thank you for the opportunity to share what I think with you.
By the way, your writing skill is commendable.

I am a law student.
I haven't witnessed one but my eyes have seen more than enough on the internet

fairheart:




Hey, I'm sorry that this is coming late. I see your assessment of the subject matter and I was wondering if you are a lawyer or a law student? Also, have you witnessed jungle justice before? I have asked these questions because your choice of words show concern and sympathy towards victims and potential victims of this horrible act. I look forward to your answers to these questions.

"Who is to be blamed for the insignificant achievement of these machineries?"

Although after reading the entire piece, I see you have indeth understanding of the cause of jungle justice and I feel there's nothing much I can say other than share my own thought with you.

On who to blame, well, this is a difficult question to answer. But I think the blame is on all of us. As you have said, home or family is what makes a society. Everything we have become as a society and nation can be traced back to the family and home that produces us as citizens. So, to remove the menace of jungle justice, we have to go back home and examine how we are parenting and the value system we are using. Nigerians believe that if a person is caught in a criminal act, it is true that the person is a criminal, even when there's no immediate and credible evidence to back this up. Why? Because we are a people without faith in ourselves.

Distrust, poverty-induced anger, and the belief that every man walking on the street is a criminal waiting to be caught, are some of the fundamental drives behind jungle justice. An average police will tell you that you're a criminal until proven otherwise. Imagine a statement like this and its effect on illiterate Nigerians. At home, most of our parents did not learn the art of listening and investigating. Couple with poverty-induce anger and, as you have said, illiteracy, many Nigerians are a living danger. They are harbouring destructive anger that they vent when they see a suspect of criminal act. It is as if the perpetrator of jungle justice have been nursing desire for the act prior the moment a victim falls in their hands. Before, it usually shock me when I see people executing jungle justice without credible facts gathered from deep and unbiased investigation. But over the years, I realise that it will continue so long there's still poverty, illiteracy, poor justice system, and endemic corruption in the security sector, and delayed sentence of convicted criminals. King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:11 that because the sentence against an evil act is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Although they party, get together, and talk about their common enemies in politics, Nigerians have lost faith in themselves. Yet, faith is an important quality in planning, creating and sustaining a thriving and law-abiding society. In this part of the world, Nigerians don't believe in their justice system, nor do they hope that justice and truth can come from that quater. Again, we have to go back home and assess how we do parenting: because this is one of the monumental acts that engineered our woes in Nigeria.

So what do we do? My dear, inside-out education is the answer. By inside-out, I mean the type of education that is inculcated by parents at home, by teachers in our schools, by our religious houses, and by example from people elected into our public offices. This education must happen at the centre of these places. But to do that, we need faith: believing in what we have not seen. Do I believe that if I teach my children to trust the justice system there will be a positive change in how he sees the justice system in the future? Do I see the possibility of change in the youths of tomorrow if we teach students today how to be good citizens? Are we earnest enough to pursue this cause? Faith!!! If we don't have faith, we cannot pursue the solutions to our problems, which has been the case in every sector we have failed in Nigeria. We simply lack faith, and so, no commitment to pursue the kind of change we deeply desire as a people and a nation. The solution is with us.

Jungle justice can stop, but are we ready? Some of the questions I ask myself as a single person is: What type of father will I be when I become a father? How am I grooming myself to become this type of father? Am I preparing to be a father that raises a successful citizen? This has been guiding my belief and value system. Although I am not perfect, there's hope that if young Nigerians walk on same direction, we can raise children that will become better citizens tomorrow.

Thank you for the opportunity to share what I think with you.
By the way, your writing skill is commendable.

Only if we have half of the population whose thoughts and way of reasoning are tailored like yours, Nigeria will be a better place.
I must commend your contribution reeks of intelligence. Ranging from the way you penned down your thoughts to having time to even analyze them.
Thank you very much for your inputs and for the compliment,thanks!

dollynnn:

I am a law student.
I haven't witnessed one but my eyes have seen more than enough on the internet

I thought as much. It's nice reading the way you think.
I am sure you will become a great lawyer and help us sanitize the justice system in the future. Amen!

fairheart:


I thought as much. It's nice reading the way you think.
I am sure you will become a great lawyer and help us sanitize the justice system in the future. Amen!

fairheart:


I thought as much. It's nice reading the way you think.
I am sure you will become a great lawyer and help us sanitize the justice system in the future. Amen!

fairheart:


I thought as much. It's nice reading the way you think.
I am sure you will become a great lawyer and help us sanitize the justice system in the future. Amen!

hopefully

dollynnn:

hopefully

What school are you studying?

fairheart:
What school are you studying?

OAU

dollynnn:

OAU

\
I hope your study and graduation plans are not affected by the pandemic?
That's a nice school. I assume you're a Yoruba too?

fairheart:
\ I hope your study and graduation plans are not affected by the pandemic? That's a nice school. I assume you're a Yoruba too?

well,they have been affected.

dollynnn:

well,they have been affected.

Sorry about that! What level are you?

fairheart:


Sorry about that! What level are you?

300

dollynnn:

300

Okay. You should gratuate by next year hopefully