Ijede Magistrates’ Court near Ikorodu, Lagos State on Tuesday discharged a man,
Kazeem Ajiga, who allegedly lynched another man for stealing his aluminium
roofing sheets. Ajiga was arraigned for taking laws into his hands
by executing jungle justice on a suspect, Raheem Omoyele, whom he accused of
stealing his property.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
Omoyele was on Monday brought before Olagbegi-Adelabu on a charge of stealing
25 aluminium roofing sheets belonging to Ajiga.
The Magistrate ruled: “Since
Ajiga has shown remorse, caution and did not waste this court’s time by
pleading guilty, I hereby discharge him and strike out the case. I ordered the
arrest and subsequent arraignment of Ajiga and his accomplices still at large
for almost blinding a suspect they arrested and for obstructing the police from
doing their job. This court is not against citizens arresting criminals in
support of the course of justice, but will not tolerate the use of excessive
force, beating up and violence on them. Many Nigerians have been killed in such
acts which clearly is anti-social, barbaric and against human rights and
contrary to being sane in this 21st century. No sane mind should justify
transferred aggression on an apprehended petty thief because of a perceived
loss or theft. This message I hope will sink into the minds of the Oke-Eletu
people and Nigerians that jungle justice, lynching and harm to arrested suspects
by them is criminal and unacceptable by law.”
prosecutor, Sgt. Friday Ekunday had apologised on behalf of the
accused, Ajiga, on the grounds that he did not know the implications of his
action.
“He was the
complainant in the case that led to this charge against him and acted out of
ignorance for not knowing that a crime was being committed by beating up the
person who stole from him. Ajiga has leant his lesson after sleeping at the
police cell for the night, and I beg this court to temper justice with mercy,”
he said.
violated Section 166(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011 when he
committed the offence on June 26 at Oke-Eletu area of Ikorodu at about 6.30
p.m.
Before the ruling,
the accused had pleaded guilty to the charge of breaching public peace by
executing jungle justice on Omoyele.
with NAN, a lawyer, Mr. Victor Nwadike, attributed the lynching of criminals to
ignorance and the high rate of illiteracy in the country.
jungle justice are a reflection of the level of education that Nigerians have
about basic issues of their rights and about what is legal and permissible. The
need for more enlightenment cannot be understated and for an overhaul of our
educational system, its philosophy and its approach to transform the people.
Even many so-called educated people cannot understand simple legal documents;
many cannot interpret our constitution and cannot explain a contractual
agreement. Our backwardness even in the administration of justice is largely
because of the pervasive ignorance and illiteracy in this nation. We need to
ensure every person gets educated up to secondary school and review our
curricula at all levels to imbue critical thinking as an essential ingredient
of our education system,” he said.
government at all levels to step up their enlightenment programmes on such
issues.
(NAN)
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