Jungle justice is a practice that is especially rampant in different parts of Africa. It is a practice where alleged criminal is severely beaten, humiliated or in some cases murdered without recourse to judicial procedure. Well, it’s an unjust punishment carried out by individuals on a suspected criminal without any legal authority. Such criminal will experience a lot of pain before life is finally gone out of him/her.
He/She can be hit with different materials such as wood, broken bottles, steels, stones etc anything possible just make to sure the person is vulnerable or temporarily paralyzed and then the final stage comes – burning the criminal Unclad and alive.
Jungle Justice started in Nigeria close to a decade ago and still no solution has been procured to it.
According to the Nigerian Constitution,
Section (33) 1 states : “Every person has the right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.”
For many years, our law enforcement agencies have failed in being competent. In South-South, Nigeria, it is said that arrested criminals that engage in devious acts such as armed robbery or even murder slip through the hands of the police by paying ‘affordable bails’ instead of charging them to court for their deeds but these criminals will be released will still roam the streets and continue their devilish acts. This is why Nigerians have no belief in the police and it has greatly increased the rate of jungle justice in Nigeria.
For some of the grieving victims of the alleged crime, its justice well served especially in a nation where the police are easily swayed to turn a blind eye to justice. But for those with a working conscience, it is barbaric. I don't stand for it. The story am about sharing is a clear case of unjust Mob justice. Its a story i stumbled upon and a very touching one at that.
On a very hot afternoon, the sun was almost roasting my skin out of my body. It was 2pm, I was going to my house from the market. I waited patiently for bus to take me home, while I was waiting, i saw a young man between the age of 30-35years, properly dressed in white shirt stocked into his black plain trouser with a brown belt and brown shoe to complete his systematic arrangement, and i guess he was also waiting for bus, a lot of people were at that spot too. Soon enough, a long motorbus arrived and people starting moving into the motorbus, but then I was walking gently to the bus, admiring the colour combination of this young man’s dressing also considering how dusty, dirty and scattered the environment was, with hoodlum (agboro) hanging here and there waiting for buses to come so they will load the bus and collect their normal 50naira.
Then all of a sudden, a lady shouted, olé olé, thief, thief, catch am, he stole my money, see him, he is a thief, you stole my money and he wants to enter bus and run, before you know it heavy slap from no where landed on his face. What did I do? He asked politely, you are a thief, the lady replied. Then those hoodlums picked wands of different sizes and started hitting him not minding his appearance. Tears was almost rolling down my eyes considering how dirty these guys hitting him and clean and orderly he was dressed. Bernard could not possibly be a thief judging him by appearance and look.
So its you that normally steal from this market? Today you would see, someone shouted approaching him with Barton. His white was gradually changing color combination with stains of blood from his flesh and before he could understand what is happening, he was already lying helplessly on that dirty ground, and gradually his shirts was flying out from his trouser and cutting down patch by patch.
He stole my money, olé, olé, thief, give me my money, she was still lamenting. How much did he steal from you madam?? One of the hoodlum asked. He stole my five thousand naira. Then they searched him and found five thousand naira and small small change, 100naira, 200naira and 50naira,. You see am?? This man is a thief. The woman shouted. I can explain, please wait let me explain, he pleaded exhaustingly, but the beating only increased because five thousand naira was found in his wallet, they were hitting him so hard that his flesh came out with the sticks as he was gradually going naked. Arrrrh, arrrrh, let me explain, I did not steal her money, Bernard continue to lament as gradually his voice reduced. Arrrrh, arrrh, arrrrh he could nearly say a word when they hit him stone and sticks.
Chaii chaii, see fine boy, see how he looks like a banker and he is a thief,arhh this serves him right said one woman as she watched from a distance. Me! I have fuel, there is tyre over here lets just set him ablaze because if we leave him,he might probably steal again. Then the victim was almost naked because they condemned his cloth on his body and then he was exhausted, I couldn’t help but watch from one end of the road with heavy tears rolling down my eyes. Then I saw dirty people that could not afford 3-squared meal a day contributing 300naira per litre fuel and tyre. The tyre was placed on his head and body, they poured the fuel on him and then one matchstick was enough to end his life in pain. Arrrrrrrrrrh, the victim shouted in great pain as he struggled to get up but was exhausted. Those hoodlums turned away one after another as the heat from the fire on the victim’s body was getting high. The victim was gradually turning into black smoke and people that watched from distance all went sorrowfully away, Bernard died slowly but painfully.
It was 9:00pm that day, Victim's wife( newly married with her 3months old baby boy) called her elder sis. Hello Ada, did you say my husband came to shop today?? Yes, and I gave him five thousand to give to you, is he not back??? Oh my God, he’s not back. Where has he gone to?? My husband is not like that, he he had never returned this late before. The victim's s wife replied with her baby in her hand. He will be back there, maybe he branched to see a friend.
This is someone's story and its all fiction but this happens everyday in our country Nigeria. No matter the crime...don't think anybody has the right to take a life that he/she couldn't create...leave justice for God or the law.
Jungle justice is NEVER an option because by killing a thief for stealing, you have committed an even more heinous crime of murder
I SAY NO TO JUNGLE JUSTICE, I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU