Katsina mob attack: Standard in Nigeria is rule of law, not jungle justice – Amnesty

Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned what it described as the growing threat of mob violence and “jungle justice” in northern Nigeria following an incident in Katsina state where a crowd reportedly besieged a court demanding the extrajudicial execution of a defendant facing a blasphemy allegation.
In a statement issued on Friday, the human rights organisation said the incident occurred on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in the Kofar Soro area of Katsina town, describing it as a serious assault on the rule of law and the administration of justice.

According to Amnesty International, a large crowd of children and young men, allegedly armed with various weapons, surrounded the court and demanded that the accused be executed without due process.

“The standard in Nigeria is the rule of law, not ‘jungle justice’,” the organisation said, warning that such actions undermine constitutional guarantees of a fair trial, irrespective of the allegations against an accused person.

Amnesty International linked the Katsina incident to the recent killing of Ummulkhairi, a teacher and mother of five, who was reportedly burned to death by a mob in Mararabar Jos, Kaduna State, about 10 days earlier over allegations that she attempted to abduct children.

The organisation said the latest development reflected a growing disregard for due process and increasing lawlessness in parts of northern Nigeria.

It expressed concern over reports that the crowd, made up largely of children and young men, carried weapons including machetes, spears, iron rods, sledgehammers, broken bottles, daggers, bows and arrows, and knives while calling for the death of the accused.

The rights group also described the participation of children in the incident as particularly disturbing, noting that they should be in school or acquiring vocational skills rather than being involved in acts of mob violence.

Amnesty International called on the Katsina state government and relevant law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and ensure that anyone found to have incited or participated in the attempted mob action is held accountable.

It stressed that justice must be pursued through lawful judicial processes rather than violence or other forms of extrajudicial action.

Katsina mob attack: Standard in Nigeria is rule of law, not jungle justice – Amnesty