On Friday, 28 March 2024, several videos were circulated online capturing a gruesome incident where some men were subjected to jungle justice in Udene Edanfion, Uromi, Edo State. The videos ahowed about 16 men being lynched before the mob set them ablaze.
Credible media platforms in Nigeria have reported that the victims met their tragic end when the assailants attacked a truck alleged to be conveying some Northerners who were traveling to their home for the upcoming Eid-l-Fitr Sallah celebration.
It was also gathered, that the hunters in possession of some arms including dane guns, axes and some other weapons were misrepresented as Fulani herdsmen by a group of men in Edo who accused them of being kidnappers.
However, 14 suspects are reported to have been arrested by the police in connection with the brutal attack. This was disclosed in a statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer in that state, CSP Moses Joel Yamu.
Reacting to the incident, some social media accounts have put forward justifications for the action of the mob. Due to the prevalence of these posts and its effect to mislead the public, this report was produced in order to combat disinformation; to examine whether the act is allowed or not under the law.
Pushing Wrong Narratives: Social Media Accounts Hailing the Mob
One of the social media platforms where a campaign in support of the murder is prominent is X.
For example, @Oriafarrell1 reshared videos of the horrible event earlier posted by another user @ZagazOlaMakama. His post was supported with a caption that reads: “It’s so shameful that we now have pages that sympathize with terrorist kidnappers terrorizing southern Nigeria. Innocent travelers travel with guns, hidden under dirt. Why will a Innocent traveler travel with guns? Uromi is my city and I stand fully by my people.”
As at the time of filing this report, the post had generated over 17,000 views, over 20 shares, over 30 comments and over 90 bookmarks.
A visit to the comment section showed that while a large portion of the comments condemned the post, some people agreed with the user.
Supporting the post, @Yekovy commented: “Exactly, Edo first .”
Also, @Success02967773 said: “It my home town as well.. I believe the brutal and quick reaction of the youth was because of the way Fulani herds men have been terrorizing farmers and villagers for some time now. Everybody is afraid to go to farm as before.”
Screenshot Portion of NIGERIAFIRST’s Post on X
Another X account that promoted the same propaganda is @OfureJoy3. A day after the incident, the handle posted a caption that reads: “Many a time these Fulanis/Hausa people have kidnapped nd kill our people non made the news. I’m happy our people are waking up. Uromi is a town known for partying and enjoyment. But since these Fulanis/Hausa people came in, it has be unrest in that community. Now we’ll fight back.”
The post garnered nothing less than 12,000 views, 22 comments, 30 shares, and 111 bookmarks.
Majority of the people in the comment section of the above post supported the post.
For instance, @nut_joshua commented: “So if We Protect Ourselves From Fulani Bandit by Killing Them, We Will Be Sentenced to Death by Nigeria Supreme Court? So We Are Only Supposed to Disarm & Then Run Away? If We Die in the Process The Case Won’t Get to Supreme Court Right ?Rubbish,Kudos To The Brave Uromi Youths.”
Likewise @clive_D_vibe noted: “You are right. These so called hunters have caused havoc in edo state especially uromi esako and the rest
They kidnap farmers rape their woman and k!ll the men.”
Owean Ehi (Otorto) is one of the Facebook users that justified the murder. On 28 March 2024, the account posted a two-minute video capturing a man give account of how the Uromi incident occurred and the arrest of some suspects in connection to the crime. However, the Facebook handler labeled the elderly man as the first and major enemy of Uromi land.
Screenshot Portion of Owean Ehi’s Post on Facebook
Some parts of the caption reads: “…BEHOLD THE FIRST AND THE MAJOR ENEMY OF UROMI LAND! He is always quick to come out to talk plenty of Nonsense!…If anything happens to our Youths, if the POLICE dare do anything funny or touch any of them because I know say na our body dem dey get power but should anything happens to Uromi Youth na TUNUBU go declare second STATE OF EMERGENCY for Esan. Not a threat but a promise. Fear us when we are United!”
“…Una luck be say boys don travel finish from Uromi if not una go remember history of the bus driver that was shot and the results afterward!…”
Among other social media users that applauded the cruel occurrence, pushing the wrong narratives can be seen here and here.
The Position of Mob Action Under Nigerian Law
Several provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN), speaks against the unjustifiable occurrence that happened in Edo State.
While the constitution prohibits the execution of law without lawful justification, the law also condemns any person who supports such unlawful process.
For example, section 33(1) of the CFRN provides for the right to life as one of the fundamental rights enjoyed by every citizen of Nigeria. The section reads: “Every person has the right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life.”
Also, section 36(5) presumes anyone who is accused of a criminal offense to be innocent until his guilt is proven. It reads: “Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty.”
Moving forward, the action of the mob, killing the victims without reasonable justification, or recourse to constituted authority amounts to a crime and punishable under the Nigerian Criminal Code (a legislation regulating unlawful acts in Southern Nigeria).
The connivance of the culprits, that’s is, encouraging others to kill the victims is tantamount to a ‘conspiracy to commit murder’ which is punishable with 14 years imprisonment under the Criminal Code. The actual killing of the victims attracts the death penalty under the law.
During an interview, a legal practitioner, Barrister Emmanuel Okorie, condemned the mob action, terming it as “heinous” and “barbaric”. He also flagged the incident as a criminal act.
Speaking further, Mr Okorie, who is also the Edo State Coordinator of Hope Behind Bar Africa, a non profit organization advocating for prison reformations and social justice, identified ignorance, poverty and distortion of the legal system as the major reasons that drive the nuances.
Mr Okorie also argued that proper education, creation of strong institutions to tackle crimes and transparency in the justice process are the key factors to fight the recurrence of jungle justice in Nigeria.
“Our system should be fair. Our system should be open to the common man. People should see our justice system as tangible, people should be made to believe in the system,” he said.
Why The Government’s Failure Also Contributes To The Killing
According to Amnesty International, at least 555 cases of mob violence have been recorded in Nigeria over the past decade between January 2012 and August 2023. These horrific figures have emanated from the 363 documented incidents in Nigeria.
Over the period, reports showed that 57 people were killed by violent mobs, 32 were burnt alive, two persons were buried alive, while 23 people were tortured to death.
Consequently, experts have found the government faulty, contributing to the recurring mob violence in Nigeria.
Speaking on the failure of the security agencies to suppress the Uromi mob before leading to mass murder, Barrister Okorie said “There should be community policing. Whenever a crime is committed, there should be a system of effective communication to the security agencies in order to intervene and ensure the prevention of law and order.
“In this case that happened in Edo State, the police did not intervene quickly. If the police had intervened within the first 15 minutes of this current issue, the lives of those men could have been saved. I’m sure 90-percent of them could have actually been saved because it takes a long process to burn and kill a person.”
From theft accusations to blasphemy, shoplifting and witchcraft, the presence of mob violence has been witnessed in all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria: South-South (82), South-East (43), North-West (100), North-Central (42), South-West (98), and North-East (26).
“The failure of law enforcement agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to prevent mob violence, investigate allegations of torture and killings, and bring suspected perpetrators to justice, is empowering mobs to kill. The problem is compounded by weak and corrupt legal institutions and systems,” said Isa Sanusi, Director Amnesty International Nigeria.
By: Muheeb Mashood
Source: Ripples Nigeria
