Police chief orders nationwide crackdown on mob violence, says ringleaders, sponsors and participants will be arrested and prosecuted.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has warned Nigerians against taking the law into their own hands, declaring that anyone who kills a suspected criminal through mob action could face a murder charge and the death penalty.
Disu, in a video circulating on Tuesday, stressed that Nigeria operates under the rule of law and not “mob rule”, urging citizens to allow the police, security agencies and courts to handle allegations of criminality.
He said the 1999 Constitution guarantees every person, including criminal suspects, the rights to life, dignity and fair hearing, adding that allegations on social media or videos of suspected crimes do not constitute sufficient evidence for mob action.
The police chief cited cases of students allegedly lynched over phone theft accusations, travellers killed because of mistaken identity and young people murdered following rumours of blasphemy or ritual killings.
He also referred to the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, describing the incident as a serious reminder of the dangers of mob justice.
Disu warned that criminal liability would not be limited to those who physically kill or assault victims. He said people who plan, incite, encourage, finance or otherwise support mob action could also face prosecution.
According to him, individuals who film, circulate or use such incidents to mobilise crowds, as well as those who obstruct security personnel from intervening, could also attract criminal charges.
The IGP disclosed that he had directed commissioners of police across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every case of mob violence as homicide and conduct full forensic and intelligence investigations.
He said the police would identify, arrest and prosecute all persons found to have participated in mob violence, not just the ringleaders.
Disu added that investigators would rely on video footage, eyewitness accounts, community intelligence and information from security personnel to identify those involved.
He urged Nigerians to resist the temptation to act on rumours or unverified allegations, stressing that suspected criminals must be tried in court and not punished by mobs.