Nigerians are no doubt passing through what could be considered the toughest phase in the history of the country since the return to democracy in 1999.
Apart from issues of insecurity, hunger is biting harder, job losses are on the increase, frustration is at the highest ebb.
No doubt the citizens utilize every available opportunity to ventilate their anger. Sadly though, the victims of such situations- jungle justice are the same commoners.
According to reports, several cases of jungle justice have been recorded in the country since January.
Wikipedia defines jungle justice or mob justice or lynching as a form of public extrajudicial killings, where an alleged criminal is publicly humiliated, beaten and summarily executed by vigilantes or an angry mob.
It stated that, “Treatments can vary from a “muddy treatment”, where the alleged criminal is forced to roll in mud for hours, to severe beatings followed by execution by necklacing”.
One of the reported cases of recent jungle justice in the country was a case of two people suspected to be motorcycle snatchers in Ibadan. The duo were burnt at General Gas under bridge in Ibadan on Wednesday, 20 July, 2022.
Our correspondent also reports that two suspected motorcycle snatchers were alsoset on fire last month in the same town.
It was also reported on June 8 this year that two suspected armed robbers were killed in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.
Samuel Deborah, who was until her death a student of a College of Education in Sokoto State, was killed in a controversial manner by some suspects who are yet to be prosecuted.
A suspected thief was in March last year set ablaze in Delta State.
In Enugu State, two persons, including a native doctor, were also stoned to death a few weeks back for allegedly using a minor for ritual.
Newsmen sought the opinion of several stakeholders and they expressed divergent views on the causes and implications of the trend.