The untimely killing of 16 travellers described as ‘hunters’, by security vigilantes on suspicion that they were kidnappers, is most pathetic and condemnable in its entirety. While it is wrong for anyone to take the law into their hands, no matter the provocation, such lawless mob action, very sadly, is becoming too frequent all over the country, signifying a very deep problem of insecurity, failure of law enforcement and serious trust deficit between ordinary Nigerians and law enforcement agencies.

Nigerians were thrown into mourning on Friday, March 24, 2025, when 16 travellers, said to be on their way from Port Harcourt to the North for Eid el Fitri celebrations, were stopped by the vigilantes and interrogated. Not convinced that they were hunters but kidnappers and bandits, the vigilantes subsequently killed them at Uromi, in Edo State, particularly on the suspicion that they were among terrorists committing havoc in their communities.

The prompt action taken by Edo State Governor, Monday Ekpebholo, to douse the subsequent tension and to assure that appropriate action would be taken is commendable, if only to prevent more carnage. The government should ensure that justice is done and the killers brought to book. However, it is time for the government to address the anomaly of rampant resort to self-help and jungle justice as a means of resolving disputes in the country. Human life is precious, and nobody has the right to take another’s life.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) guarantees the right to life of every citizen. It says in Section 33 (1) that, “every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he/she has been found guilty in Nigeria.” The Constitution also provides in Section 14, 2(b) that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

It is unacceptable to Nigerians that despite these provisions, jungle justice is being entrenched as the order of the day, with aggrieved citizens so quick to mete out judgment outside the established and authorised processes of law through the courts. It is clear, therefore, that the Uromi tragedy and multiple others could have been avoided if only the government and its agencies had taken their constitutional obligations seriously.

In getting to the root of the problem in Uromi, Governor Ekpebholo and security agencies should ascertain alleged reports that after arrest of the travellers, the vigilantes took some of them to the Police, but the Police failed to take the travellers and conduct investigation, particularly regarding arms and sums of money reportedly found with them. If that is true, then somebody would appear to have set the stage for the killings, as such refusal by the police to act appropriately might have emboldened the vigilantes to take laws into their hands.

Is it also true that suspects that are handed over to the Police for investigation often find their way back to society without prosecution? Is it also true that in other instances, matters often take an ugly turn after Police authorities give counter-instructions to set the suspects free? Reports of this nature have been made severally; and the police authorities have not explained their action or inaction in that regard. Surely, these are not how issues of security should be handled, as such handling gives rise to suspicion that somebody is trying to undermine justice or engage in selective justice.

Whatever the case may be, jungle justice in any form is unacceptable, and culprits should be properly identified and sanctioned according to law. Nevertheless, the government must make the country safe for all Nigerians. It is the failure of governance that makes citizens lose faith in the system. Increasingly, Nigerians are losing confidence in the Police and the criminal justice system. Most times, justice is delayed and denied, causing citizens to lose faith in the system.

It is not acceptable that in the 21st century, many Nigerians are carrying on in the state of nature, in which Thomas Hobbes characterised life to be short, brutish and nasty. Indeed, living in Nigeria has become short for citizens across many states, where citizens are repeatedly cut down so cheaply in their dozens.

While the Uromi tragedy is being redressed, on Saturday, April 2, 2025, terrorists invaded six Plateau villages- Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti and Tadai, in Bokkos Local Government, killing people and razing houses. Those killed were more than 50. Similar attacks by terrorists had been unleashed on hapless citizens in many other states. The government should stop prevaricating about state police and mobilise local security to safeguard the Nigerian forest and prevent lawless reprisals.

Again, while President Tinubu has made the right pronouncements on the killings, he needs to, as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, go beyond condemnation and make Nigeria safe for all. The government should address the menace of banditry and kidnapping for ransom. Shouldn’t that bother the political class more than their machinations to win elections by hook or crook come 2027? If there is no country, we ask, where will the politicians govern?

The killings in Uromi and the repeated pogroms in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Delta, Ondo and Ogun states, among others, are red flags that challenge the government to govern well. Why is there a proliferation of assault rifles and small arms all over the place? Why is the government unable to mop up arms that aid criminality around the country? Why are hunters roaming the country, carrying guns without checks by the Police? It is incumbent on the government to know what citizens are doing and how they go about doing that.

This is the time to reform the current policing system. It is no longer adequate in form and content to provide security for the country. Let the National Assembly and state governments fast-track efforts to reform policing and vigilante services.

Let the government stop focusing on symptoms and treat the real trouble in Nigeria. True federalism, as has been widely canvassed, is the solution to Nigeria’s many problems. The federal government cannot continue to shy away from that reality if it wants peace to reign among ethnic groups and for ancient boundaries to be respected. Let states have their police forces to protect their citizens from external aggressors. Let Nigeria be safe for all! (The Guardian Editorial)