The State of Osun Security Council Monday evening described
the jungle justice being meted to suspected kidnappers and ritual killing
suspects as wicked, uncivilised and therefore unacceptable to the government.
In a press conference jointly addressed after a crucial
meeting, all the heads of security agencies said the act of jungle justice is
totally condemnable, warning that government will not fold its arms and allow
the society to descend into anarchy.
The security chiefs included the army, police, State
Security Service, NDLEA, Immigration, Head of Prison Service, and the Federal
Road Safety Commission.
The meeting came on the heel of recent wave of summary
arrest of suspected kidnappers and burning them in some towns in the state.
The statement, read on behalf of the security chiefs by the
Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Maishanu, warned that any individual or group
of people, found taking laws into their own hands by killing any suspect
illegally would be made to face murder charge.
Maisanu said the security agencies have the capacity and
network to track any individual or group that takes laws unto itself, warning
the people of the state to hand over any suspected person to the police or the
nearest security agencies rather than turn themselves into executioners.
"The act of dishing jungle justice to suspects is
therefore barbaric, uncivilised and unacceptable in a governed society. The
security agencies will not fold their arms and watch our society descend into
anarchy.
"By this token, any person or group of persons that
constitutes a mob, takes laws into his or their hands and lynch any suspect is
not morally or legally better than the suspects. Such person or group of
persons will be caught and made to face murder charges, which is punishable by
death," Maisanu said.
The police command boss averred that in an organised
society, every citizen is involved in law enforcement through vigilance, report
of suspicious and criminal activities to law enforcement agencies and in some
cases, carrying out citizen’s arrest.
He stated that whenever any suspect is arrested, the lawful
thing to do is to handover the suspect immediately to the police.
The police commissioner noted that there is never a time a
citizen is allowed to take laws into his or her own hands and become the
complainant, jury and executioner – meting out jungle justice based on his or
her own whims and caprices.
According to the police chief there is the rule of law under
democratic rule and it is the sacred duty of law enforcement agencies to uphold
the law, enforce the law, apprehend criminals and make sure that criminal
suspects face the law.
He reaffirmed the security agencies commitment and
determination to maintaining and protecting lives and property and above all
the fundamental liberty of all.
He continued: "This is what we do every day, 24 hours.
It is on record that, with the assistance and cooperation we have received from
the state government, criminals have been deterred in Osun and the state has
one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
"It is also a fundamental axiom of justice that an
accused person is deemed innocent until proven guilty. It is the sacred duty of
the courts to determine and establish guilt or innocence and impose appropriate
punishment. This is because a mistake, especially of identity or mission, can
occur.
"Mistakes of this nature, therefore, once made, are
irreversible and an innocent life would have been taken. Where the suspects
were burnt to death, for instance, it is difficult or impossible to establish
their identity and consequently establish their guilt or innocence."
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