Aluu4: The beginning, Continuation Or End Of Jungle Justice?

I was born and brought up in Bariga, Lagos, a place where anything and everything happens. From a tender age, I saw many things, people taking the law into their own hands was done best.
Jungle justice means taking laws into one’s hands. It was very rear for criminals to be caught by people and hand them to the police; instead, they were beaten, wounded and killed either by burning them alive or beating them to death. The kind of jungle justice passed on to a criminal is dependent on the crime committed. Stealing without the use of guns and other weapons was treated with lighter penalties e.g. they were beaten naked in public; for armed robbers, they were either beaten to death or burnt alive after serious beating. All these and more happened and it was alright with people and no one complained. Jungle justice became a way of life.

On Friday, 5th October 2012, news spread like wildfire of the brutal killings of four University of Port-Harcourt students in a town called Aluu in Rivers state. The name Aluu4 was coined from the name of the community and the four students killed. This made the headlines of many national dailies and online news blogs for many days as disturbing photos and videos of the event weren’t far-fetched on the internet. I was made to know that the village head gave the mob the go-ahead to take the law into their hands and two policemen joined in the action. Further stories contained the information that the boys were not guilty of the allegations levelled against them; but then, who wants to know? The people in the community had been terrorized by armed robbers for weeks without the police helping them solve the problem, and getting hold of some alleged some was what they have been looking for. The government condemned the killings, many Nigerians were against it, students of the University of Port-Harcourt protested, some celebrities criticized it, and musicians made good songs in registering their disapproval of the act. These continued as the days went by.

I ask then, is Aluu4 the beginning of jungle justice in Nigeria? As said earlier, I had known jungle justice from a tender age, this can’t be its beginning. I remember when I was thirteen, a woman who was said to be a kidnapper was burned to death because she kidnapped a four-year-old boy on his way to school. In another case, a broken bottle was used to pierce a man's buttock after he had been beating blue-black for stealing. Sincerely speaking, after watching gory videos and seeing photos of the Aluu Killings, I felt very bad, but I wasn’t moved! You ask why? This is because I grew up seeing this kind of act as normal, a way of life and there was nothing wrong with it. I have seen many and seeing this was one of those things. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying the action of the mob was right, but I have become accustomed to acts of such magnitude. Can anyone can claim that he has not witnessed jungle justice all his life save Aluu4? No! That’s the answer. It has been happening anywhere and everywhere both in Nigeria and outside. 

 What should be said then, it is the end? Five days after the Aluu4 killings, I read another story about how some people were burnt to death in another part of the country. Two weeks after the killings, I was in the hostel and I heard people chanting songs of victory that a thief had been caught. He came into one of the rooms on the second floor to steal a laptop with an internet modem, the owner of the gadget caught him and alerted other roommates. He was rescued from the grip of students by the security men. That after he had received some slaps and kicks. If they weren’t there, I guess what happened in the Aluu community would have repeated itself. Whether we like it or not, stories of this sort would continue coming until something happens.

 It’s the continuation, then, if it is not the beginning or the end? Some things would never change. Change they say is one thing that must happen, but in this case, I doubt if it’s applicable. Aluu4 was just the first time a particular jungle justice case was widely discussed. It’s funny how people enjoy judging others while they do the same or even worse. Who among you – readers – would catch a maid stealing from your purse and would instantly hand him over to the police? Wouldn’t you rather employ the services of your hands to dish out some slaps and other forms of beating, and maybe invite some other people to help with disciplining this maid to teach him the lesson of his life? He might be beaten, stripped naked and paraded on the streets; and everyone is happy. 

 In conclusion, unless the memory of jungle justice witnessed first-hand by many of us from our tender age is wiped off; it would continue to be a norm. I sincerely pray that none of us, plus our families, friends and well wishes shall face such brutality.