Lagos State Government has warned residents against taking the laws into their hands by imposing instant punishment on suspected criminals.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, gave the warning in a statement on Friday following the spate of jungle justice in Lagos State in recent times.
Residents in some parts of the state have reportedly engaged, as individuals or as a mob, in lynching, setting ablaze or killings suspected criminals on unsubstantiated allegations of kidnapping, stealing or ritual killing.
“The full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone henceforth caught engaging in jungle justice, no matter what the alleged criminal could have done,” Ipaye warned
He noted that anybody caught beating, burning or killing any suspect, whether alone or in a mob, was himself engaging in a serious criminal act and was liable to prosecution and punishment.
“The mob may well be wrong and the helpless victim may be anyone’s child or relative. Even if they did commit the alleged offence, there is a process for prosecuting and showing the evidence in court so that proven criminals can be properly punished according to law,” he said.
