Angry Nigerians have protested the alleged mob killing of a seven-year-old for attempting to steal cassava flour (garri) from a shop in the Badagry area of Lagos.
An unverified video of the lynching and eventual burning of the boy has gone viral on social media.
Unconfirmed reports said the victim was caught while trying to break into a shop where foodstuff is sold in the early hours of Tuesday, November 15, 2016.
The suspect, it was alleged, was nabbed by some men in the area who launched the attack that led to his eventual death despite pleas by many to hand him over to the police.
A campaign with the hashtag #SayNoToJungleJustice was launched on Twitter, with Nigerians condemning mob justice on petty thieves while public officials loot the country’s treasury.
See some of the tweets below.
I’d like to #SayNoToJungleJustice because in most cases the weight of d crime and d punishment don’t tally
— WIN NOW!- GALAXY S7! (@giveawayvoxer) November 17, 2016
how do we #SayNoToJungleJustice when our country has become a jungle and its people wild animals?
— Segun (@segun_dearest) November 17, 2016
There should be a law against Jungle Justice, this is getting too much! #SayNoToJungleJustice
— larisa Ejutemieden (@larisa_lil) November 17, 2016
You didn’t lynch ExecuTHIEFS
You didn’t lynch LegislaTHIEFS
You didn’t lynch JudiSHARING
You now lynch helpless boy #SayNoToJungleJustice— TOBILITY (@iamtobility) November 16, 2016
And people watched and did nothing. That child was someone’s son, brother, nephew and cousin #SayNoToJungleJustice
— Tofunmi (@Tofunmiiii) November 16, 2016
I am shocked that people are justifying this act, 7,17,71 we should all #SayNoToJungleJustice . Nobody is old enough to be lynched!
— Miss Daniella (@Dani__Keri) November 16, 2016
I hope the police are on trail of those who murdered that little boy. The must not go unpunished #SayNoToJungleJustice
— Gabriel Chibuzor (@GabChibuzor) November 17, 2016
Such cruel, beastly, barbaric behavior! Jungle Justice is not humane! We are not animals, we have law enforcement! #SayNoToJungleJustice
— Sarah (@SarahIBaloo) November 16, 2016
When you live in a country where a cup of garri is worth more than a life, you know something is utterly wrong #sayNOtoJUNGLEJUSTICE
— Kevin Asaju (@_Kevinasaju) November 16, 2016
Bad economy, hunger was killing him and he couldn’t help the situation…bad government bad people #SayNoToJungleJustice
— Timmy (@timmyoye) November 17, 2016
