By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Aderemi Adeoye, has described perpetrators of jungle justice as beasts who do not only lack human sympathy but also lack knowledge of the law.
CP Adeoye stated this, while speaking on the incident of jungle justice in the state, which led to the arrest of two involved in lynching a suspect in the state.
According to a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, the CP outrightly condemned resorting to jungle justice or lynching a suspect when apprehended, adding that it is only a court of competent jurisdiction that has right to declare a suspect guilty and prescribe punishment for the person.
He said, “Such group who resort to jungle justice are worse than the suspects they lynch.
“Someone steals a phone and a mob kills him. The sentence for stealing a phone is 3 years imprisonment. Those who lynch commit murder which carries the death penalty as the courts have not delegated anyone outside the judiciary to try, convict and execute suspects!”
According to the Police Spokesman, the Commissioner advised all aggrieved persons to take their cases to the Police, urging him to contact them to contact his office directly if they don’t get justice.
“He assured the people of Anambra State that the Command would always be alive to its responsibility in maintaining law and order. Recourse to self help will not be tolerated,” Ikenga concluded.
