The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, through its Law Reform and Policies Review Committee, has released a firm statement decrying the recent extrajudicial killings in Uromi, Edo State.
In the statement, jointly signed by the Committee Chairman, Tesleem Adewuyi, Esq., and the Branch Chairman, Adeniyi Quadri, Esq., the NBA Ikeja described the killings as a gross violation of human rights and a disturbing reflection of the systemic failures in Nigeria’s law enforcement mechanisms. The Association emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to ensure justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
The Committee further stressed that the debate should not center on the identities of the deceased—whether they were hunters or suspected criminals—but on the fundamental unlawfulness of jungle justice in any civil society. Citing judicial precedent, including the case of Omah v. The State (2017) LPELR – 42745 CA, the Committee reiterated that where a criminal act is jointly committed in furtherance of a shared intention, each participant bears equal responsibility—thus reinforcing the illegality of mob action or vigilante killings.
Read the full report below:
