NIGERIA Three men suspected of robbery were caught by an enraged mob and subjected to perhaps the most horrific form of execution imaginable. After beating all three, the crowd put tires around them and set them on fire while they were still alive.
Street justice in Nigeria, as in many other African countries, is still actively practiced and deeply ingrained. People have little trust in the police or state justice system and believe that if they don’t punish thieves themselves, the criminals will go unpunished – a belief often reinforced by corruption in law enforcement.
However, such violence can never be justified. Even a failing state does not give a crowd the right to violate the basic human rights of alleged criminals. Perpetrators should always be handed over to the proper authorities for justice.
