You risk long jail term when you participate in jungle justice

If the suspects sustain serious injury, you may be jailed for three years. And when they die, you are likely to spend the rest of your life in prison. Some even risk death by hanging as they wilfully kill suspects by dousing them in petrol or kerosene.

The alleged offence of the suspects is immaterial!

With the repraissal attacks on suspected Badoo boys in Ikorodu, lynching of kidnap suspects and those thought to be thieves killed by mobs, many are jeopardising their tomorrow by participating in jungle justice.

The Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 prescribes the following:

ASSAULT
Definition of assault
168. (1) A person who-
(a) strikes, touches, moves, or otherwise applies force of any kind to the person of another, either directly or indirectly, without his consent; or
(b) by any bodily act or gesture attempts or threatens to apply force of any kind to the person of another without his consent, in such circumstances that the person making the attempt or threat has actually or apparently a present ability to effect his purpose is said to assault that other person.
(2) The term ‘applies force’ includes the case of applying heat, light, electrical force, gas, odour, or any other substance or thing whatsoever, if applied in such a degree as to cause injury or personal discomfort.Unlawful assaults.
169. (1) An assault is unlawful and constitutes an offence unless it is authorised or justified or excused by Law.
(2) The application of force by one person to another may be unlawful if it is done with the consent of that other person where:
(a) on grounds of age or weak intellect, a person is incapable of understanding the nature of the act to be done; or
(b) the consent was obtained by fraud.
(c) the assault is of a nature likely to endanger human life or is likely to cause a breach of peace

Punishment of assault.
170. Any person who unlawfully assaults another is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable, if no greater punishment is provided, to imprisonment for one year.

Assaults occasioning harm.
171. Any person who unlawfully assaults another and thereby does him harm is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years.

INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER
222. A person who unlawfully kills another in circumstances which does not constitute murder is guilty of manslaughter if he causes death-
(1) by an unlawful and dangerous act; or
(2) with gross negligence or reckless disregard for human life.

Punishment for manslaughter.
227. Any person who commits the offence of manslaughter is liable to imprisonment for life.

MURDER
Definition of Murder.
220. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Law, a person who unlawfully kills another –
(a) with intention to kill that person or some other person; or
b) with intention to do grievous harm to the person killed or to some other person is guilty of a felony called murder.

Punishment for Murder.
221. Subject to the provisions of any other Law, a person who commits the offence of murder shall be sentenced to death.