When Humans Becomes LAW!!!


We have the judicial system and laws in our country to help regulate society, guide people, and prevent people from harming and hurting others. This doesn’t mean that people don’t go against these systems and laws - they do - but it also helps to determine the consequences that seem fit for their crimes. This helps a lot in maintaining order and reducing chaos in the society.

The officers of the law (police officers) play a major role in maintaining order, and they are the ones who are in charge of handling those who deviate from the law. The people or the mass public do not need to take laws into their own hands by handling the offenders or deciding to do the job of the police officers. Doing that is known as ‘jungle justice’ where I come from.

Jungle justice in Nigeria can be seen as the capital punishment meted out by group of individuals without any kind of legal power or authority on a criminal ‘suspect’. The rate of jungle justice in Nigeria has become very alarming and it is getting out of control. It is common that in some cases law officers are involved too. In this situation, it seems baffling as to why we have laws to start with.

The pictures and videos from these scenes are very disturbing and heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking because some of the victims of this madness known as ‘jungle justice’ are sometimes innocent people assumed or mistaken to be criminals. I’ve watched some of these videos and I was so disturbed and baffled as to why people were taking these pictures and videos instead of saying something to rescue these people. They are at least someone’s family, and there is no proof that they are yet guilty of the allegations. I have tons of questions on my mind: if we have laws and law officers, why take laws into our hands? Why commit such an inhumane act to another human for reasons that I can’t comprehend and hope that I don’t comprehend.

Sometimes, I want to scream at my phone when watching these horrible videos. I want to scream, This is the twenty-first century but that will be screaming to myself and it won’t even make a difference. The truth remains that this is the twenty-first century and we shouldn’t be seeing such barbaric acts. I am not, and will not justify stealing in any way or shape, but taking someone’s life away especially in such manner is just so inhumane. It needs to stop and should be stopped.

Violence cannot stop anything and would not lead to anywhere. In some cases, the vigilantes even go as far as burning the ‘suspects’ alive or chopping off some parts of their bodies. Some claim that it’s the best way to stop people from committing crimes. But two wrongs can never make a right and I really wish that these people would understand that. Things should be done the proper and right way which is going through the law and its system. Wickedness can never get us anywhere in this life. The world needs a little bit of kindness, love, and compassion.

Violence is not and will never be the way forward.


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