In a society where the leaders watch with impunity injustice and inequity to prevail, jungle justice becomes indispensable. This is the current situation Nigeria State finds herself.
The reason for insecurity and untold sociopolitical crisis. The news of the lynching of alleged Northern travellers who were suspected by Edo Vigilante Group to be kidnappers has become talk of the town. Consequences are being addressed without much attention being paid to tackling the causes.
The African indigenous intellect admonishes that the root cause of murder should be traced back to the blacksmith who invented the weapon. The blacksmith in this case scenario is the Nigerian government’s conspiracy of silence in the face of farmers-herders’ crisis in this regime of open grazing in Nigeria.
Inasmuch as jungle justice should be frowned at in every progressive society, the jungle justice incident in Edo State is unarguably a time bomb that has been waiting to explode. This is given the Nigeria State’s silence over the impunity of suspected Herdsmen’s wanton killings in Edo, Benue, Plateau, Enugu, Kogi, Ondo, Ebonyi States and many other Southern and North Central Nigerian States.
To give life to this masterpiece, it is crucial to take notice of the sfollowing national daily newspapers headlines.
“Edo Communities Cry Out Over Continuous Herder’s Attack” February 15, 2022 report by Business Day
“Herdsmen Attack Edo Community, Kill Five Maim Others” This was April 10, 2022 Nigerian Tribune Report
“Suspected Herdsmen Kill Two, Injure one in Edo Community” February 27, 2025 Nigerian Tribune Report
“Farmer Killed, Scores Injured As Suspected Herdsmen Strike Edo Community” Arise News Report
“Ex-Governorship Candidate Oboh Tasks Edo Govt to Address Herdsmen attacks in Esanland” March 28 Daily Post Report.
These and many more are the menaces of suspected herdsmen from the Northern Nigeria which has been treated with impunity by the Nigerian government.
The wanton killings by Herdsmen in Enugu State with impunity can never be overemphasised and is highlighted as follows;
“Many killed as suspected herders attack Enugu community” December 18, 2022 Premium Times Report.
Punch further reports on February 5, 2025 thus; “Death toll rises to 15 in Ebonyi community herdsmen’s killings”
Herdsmen’s killing cut across almost all the nooks and crannies of the southern part of Nigeria and the middle belt (North Central). North Central includes Kogi, Benue, Plateau among others. Security agencies have been indicted for always offering safe haven for killer herdsmen instead of tackling the threats posed by their activities. Thus;
” BREAKING: Nigerian Policemen, Soldiers Attack Enugu Community Women Protesting Against Herdsmen Killings, Injure Several Persons. March 18, 2025 Sahara Reporter’s Report.
According to The Guardian December 16, 2022 Report “Why IPOB Formed Eastern Security Network, by Kanu, the team explained that Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of IPOB’s Vigilante Wing, Eastern Security Network was formed to provide security for the Eastern Nigerians against the killer Herdsmen since the Nigerian government has failed to do so but offer coverage for them.
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It is nothing but a trite fact that the attitude of the Nigeria’s State is the reason jungle justice thrives in Nigeria. To prevent future Herdsmen’s wanton killings, ranching has been proposed but the government shunned it but preferred an archaic animal husbandry practice as open grazing. Open grazing system thrived in the ancient times but in contemporary era it has negative legal implications such as public nuisance, trespass, malicious damage, murder, crisis and genocide. Obviously the activities of the herdsmen in Nigeria is becoming a systematic genocide
The non-responsiveness approach of the Nigerian government has triggered aggression by the people. While many may bottle up their aggressive feelings because of the fear of the Nigerian security agencies, others have decided to resort to jungle justice mindless of the legal consequences.
What further could be suspected to have broken the camel’s back is the decision of the Supreme Court in respect of Sunday Jackson’s case. Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence of Sunday Jackson who reportedly killed a herder that trespassed upon his farmland in Adamawa State, Nigeria and started destroying his crops. The convicted Jackson felt he was protected by the Nigerian constitution which guarantees for right to self-defence. Right to self-defence and Right to Life are given equal protection under the 1999 Constitution. This current ruling has certain implications on the fundamental right to self-defence of oneself and property against life-threatening dangers as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
It follows therefore that this masterpiece is not a defence of jungle justice. It is a call for the Nigeria’s State to tackle once and for all the age long menaces of Herdsmen in the country caused by the archaic open grazing to avert further jungle justice. The Nigerian Constitution should revisit the proposal of ranching system in the Northern Nigeria. Outright pardon should be granted to Sunday Jackson. More so, the Supreme Court should consider reviewing its decision in Sunday Jackson’s case because it creates a precedent of docility in the face of life-threatening danger which a person ordinarily should defend himself against in the spirit of self-preservation.
Written by Ikechukwu Obasi
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