Jungle Justice: 13 Times Nigerians Went Too Far (photos)

This is the 21st century but many cities in Nigeria still engage in some barbaric practices. One of such is jungle justice.


This is the 21st century but many cities in Nigeria still engage in some barbaric practices. One of such is jungle justice.

Almost every week, you must hear at least a story of how people were lynched for stealing or committing one crime or the other and this excludes the ones that go unreported.

Such suspected criminals are often subjected to a lot of pain before life is finally gone out of him/her. They are attacked with sticks, stones, bottles or anything that will inflict serious pain on the person. After which, they burn the person alive.

For some, their punishment is well deserved, it is justice served. They feel they have a right to decide whether a criminal lived or died. But for those with a conscience, it is the height of wickedness. It is just barbaric.

Below are times Nigerians went too far in punishing a suspected criminal.

1. 7-year-boy was beaten and burned to death in Lagos

Photos of a young man who was beaten and burnt to death went viral on Wednesday, November 16. His crime was that he stole garri (a staple food). The report was that he was a 7-year-old boy. However, the police debunked the report saying the person that was killed was a man and not a boy, and investigation on how he died is ongoing. Because it was a man still does not justify the act.

While he was being subjected to so much pain by the mob, others stood by and watched, taking pictures and filming the incident. Some others were screaming ‘hit him well’. Apparently, they have lost their conscience as they thought nothing of taking another person’s life.



2. Suspected burglar tied up like bush meat

On October 19, photos of a suspected burglar tied up like a bush meat surfaced online. He was said to have been caught red-handed after breaking into a house and trying to steal some valuables in Sokponba in Benin city, Edo state. He was beaten black and blue, tied up like bush meat and later handed over to the police. He was lucky his assailants did not decide to send him to an early grave.


3. Thieves beaten brutally in Lagos

On Wednesday, June 15, two men were apprehended at Buari street, in Mushin area of the state for armed robbery. They were beaten mercilessly and tied to an electric pole. But for the intervention of officers from Olosan police station, they would have been lynched by irate mob.


4. g4y man beaten to death

Akinnifesi Olumide Olubunmi was attacked by a group of youths in Ondo West local government, Ondo state for engaging in homosexual act. He died on February 18, in a hospital, a day after the beating having suffered complications. The mob judged him, found him guilty and sent him to an early grave. He had no opportunity to defend himself.



5. Man’s hand chopped off for stealing

He was caught in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state trying to steal a flat screen TV from a football viewing centre. Some people who thought they had a right to punish him decided to chop off his hand.





6. Man beaten to pulp

Two suspects were caught trying to steal a parked motorcycle in Festac Town, Lagos. One of them managed to escape but the other one received the beating of his life. He was attacked with sticks, stones and anything they could lay their hands on. He was saved from being lynched by the timely intervention of the police who came and took him away.



7. Man stripped Unclad, beaten to a pulp

A mob pounced on man who was reportedly caught stealing at NHIS building 112, Obafemi Awolowo way, Ikeja, Lagos state. The irate mob tied his hands and legs, stripped him Unclad and beat him to a pulp.



8. Girl stripped Unclad, iron rod inserted in her private part for stealing

A lady was subjected to the worse treatment after she was caught stealing at Shoprite Mall in Lagos. She was stripped Unclad and sexually manhandled. An iron rod was inserted into her private part just because she was caught stealing. How barbaric?

9. LAUTECH Students Stripped Unclad & Beaten For Stealing

Two students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology were stripped Unclad and beaten mercilessly for allegedly stealing laptops, iron & home theater.


10. Soldiers strip and beat alleged thief

He allegedly stole from a woman in Calabar. Unfortunately for him, soldiers were passing by at the time of the incident. They tortured him, stripped him, made him swim in the gutter and they beat the living day light out of him.


11. Notorious criminal roasted in Agege

An alleged robber known as Mopol was beaten mercilessly by an irate mob at the Agege area of Lagos. He was about to be lynched when policemen from the Elere division arrived and rescued him. However, as he was being taken away, he reportedly vowed to go after his assailants when he leaves the police custody. This infuriated the mob who snatched him from the police, stabbed him several times, tied him with a rope and dragged him to the junction where he was set ablaze.

12. ALUU 4

We can never forget when four young boys, Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekena Elkanah, all students of the University of Port Harcourt were lynched in 2012 after they were falsely accused of being thieves in Aluu, a community in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. They were humiliated, beaten with sticks and even a policeman was caught hitting them with the butt of the gun. As the crowd continued to watch without doing anything, the mob dragged them through the mud, wrapped car tyres filled with petrol around their neck and set them ablaze. The incident went viral as the gory video footage spread on YouTube like wildfire.


13. Notorious thief burnt to death

In May 2016, a popular notorious thief called ‘Emma-B’ met his waterloo. He was said to have been terrorizing a particular community in Warri. On that fateful day, he was caught by a vigilante. He was beaten and finally burnt to death.