The police in Akwa Ibom State have successfully intervened to save two individuals from a violent mob attack, commonly known as jungle justice. Unfortunately, there has been a distressing increase in the number of incidents where suspected criminals are brutally tortured, set on fire, and left at various road junctions in Uyo, the capital city.
In a press release in Uyo on Tuesday, SP Odiko Macdon, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), announced that two individuals, namely Ubong Sunny Ossom and Christian Effiong, were saved from a horrific fate of being burnt alive. Ubong Sunny Ossom was caught stealing two bottles of Campari from a supermarket in Uruan LGA, while Christian Effiong was apprehended for stealing a generator in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA. The PPRO strongly cautioned against resorting to vigilante justice and emphasized that the police will take necessary actions to arrest and prosecute those who engage in such acts.
Macdon expressed disapproval of theft as a criminal act, but also highlighted that resorting to jungle justice is contrary to the nation’s legal framework.