By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—WORRIED over the rising cases of jungle justice in the country, the Senate yesterday condemned the act in totality, asking the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, state Attorney Generals and the Police to apprehend and prosecute those involved.

The Senate also urged its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to urgently accelerate the passage of the Anti-Jungle Justice Bill before it and asked the Nigerian Police to immediately confirm or deny the occurrence of the recent purported mob action in Lagos and other states.

The Upper Chambers, while calling on the Nigerian Police to immediately ensure that they fished out all perpetrators of this barbarism and bring them to book, also urged the Police and other security agencies to live up to their responsibilities to protect the younger ones.

The resolutions were sequel to a motion by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, APC, Lagos East and co- sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South, titled, Condemning the rising cases of Jungle Justice in the country.

Presenting the motion, Senator Ashafa said: “The Senate is distressed by the rising cases of jungle justice by mobs that have arrogated to themselves the power to condemn others to death and execute judgement without recourse to the law courts in different parts of Nigeria.

“The Senate is worried about this trend, especially the case of a young man recently lynched in Orile area of Lagos State for stealing.

“Horrified that these rising barbaric acts are in most cases, perpetrated with a crowd of people watching unperturbed is most disheartening as each act dehumanizes us as a race.

“ Furious that this is happening and continues to become more alarming everyday in these considerable hard conditions our people are passing through.

“Disgusted that this is not the first time in the country that mobs have engaged’ in jungle justice. Some of the instances of jungle justice are still fresh in our memories. We can never forget when four young boys, Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekena Elkanah, all students of the University of Port Harcourt were lynched in 2012 after they were falsely accused of being thieves at Aluu, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.’’

In his contribution to the motion, Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, said:  “The case of a 7- year-old at Orile, Lagos, has gone viral and that is why myself and the mover of the motion said we should ask the police to confirm or deny because sometimes social media messages can be faulty.

“We have had several times leaders being stripped naked in the public by mob. We really need to standup to this and condemn it and, in fact, move further to do something, otherwise we are going to have a society where everybody that is strong enough or have the number can take the law into their hands.

‘’This case is very serious and this Senate is not for standing up occasions like this and I urge my colleagues to support this very simple, straight forward motion. We must look at doing something about the disorderliness and the mob action that is so recurrent in our society these days.’’

Also contributing to the motion, Senator Shehu Sani, APC, Kaduna Central, who noted that mob action had become the order of the day in Nigeria because of lack trust among the people, government and the police, said:  “It is quite unfortunate that mob justice is becoming a way of life in our communities, towns and in villages and I can directly attribute it to the loss of confidence between the people, the government and the law enforcement agencies. It has become a recurrent decimal that each day you see people being killed.’’

In his contribution, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, PDP, Abia North, urged the Senate to call the government to order.