By Chijioke Iremeka
Of late, suspects accused of theft are being stripped of more than their freedom, as they are made to sing, dance and perform before jeering crowds, while onlookers record their humiliation on camera.
As the videos spread across social media, giving public punishment a new stage, disturbing questions are emerging about whether humiliation is a better penalty to deter crime.
The crowd gathered inside a section of the Lagos Trade Fair Complex, agitated and animated, with angry voices ringing through the air. In their midst stood Moses, a suspected thief, clutching a cell phone recovered from him.
He was made to dance as the crowd jeered and laughed, with some raising their phones to capture the spectacle.
With every step, the laughter grew louder and the cameras kept rolling. What was presented as punishment had taken on the atmosphere of a performance, turning Moses’ alleged wrongdoing into a public spectacle and his humiliation into entertainment.
The crowd demanded a good performance and threatened to beat him and hand him over to the police if he refused to dance.
Moses had a nasty dose of what has come to be known online as “dancescipline”, but took the humiliation in his stride.
“I was scared they could kill me. I was begging them to take me to the police, but they told me to dance. Everybody was laughing and recording me. They said if I didn’t dance, nobody would recognise me by the time I was allowed to go.
“I was no longer thinking about the allegation against me; I was thinking about the people recording and laughing while I danced. I was humiliated, but had no choice but to dance to save my life,” he told Sunday PUNCH after he was later allowed to go.
Public entertainment as punishment
Lately, videos of suspected thieves being forced to dance, sing, mime or display other talents after being apprehended have been circulating online.
This public humiliation has been nicknamed “dancescipline”, a coinage from the words “dance” and “discipline”.
To an extent, “dancescipline” is being presented as an alternative to beating or other forms of jungle justice prevalent in the country.
It may be less lethal than mob killing, but “dancescipline” is still unlawful and degrading, according to rights activists, human-rights lawyers and psychologists.
They warned that replacing physical violence with public humiliation is still unacceptable, questioning whether turning suspected thieves into unwilling performers before jeering crowds can ever equate to justice.
Other disturbing scenarios
On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, a video of a suspected thief apprehended by security personnel at the National Open University of Nigeria after allegedly stealing laptops from an office went viral.
In the clip, he was forced to dance to the rhythm of musical instruments played by members of the crowd and made to hold a handwritten sign reading, “I AM A THIEF OF LAPTOPS IN NOUN.”
Similarly, an alleged plantain thief was caught in Bayelsa State and humorously “decorated” with the plantains and forced to dance while being beaten. His hands were tied behind his back, restricting his movement.
In Edo State, two other alleged plantain thieves were caught and made to dance, carrying the plantains they stole as evidence. A voice in a viral video could be heard telling them to dance well.
While reviewing the video footage, Sunday PUNCH could hear one of those who forced the suspected thieves to perform justifying their actions, saying that “dancescipline” did not kill suspects but taught them hard lessons intended to deter them from stealing.
‘We now want to teach thieves some lessons’
“We now make thieves dance to teach them lessons of a lifetime and stop them from stealing again,” Sodiq Abba, one of the traders, told Sunday PUNCH after being asked if they subscribed to the new style of punishing thieves.
He explained that while suspects might be beaten by the public after being caught, the general demand as a form of punishment is public humiliation.
“We tell them to dance and are filmed so that when they see themselves on social media trending for the wrong reason, they would never steal again,” Abba said.
The trader said they were no longer willing to kill suspects, following the police warning against killing or burning suspected thieves and the directive that all suspects must be handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
“When a thief is taken to the police station, the next minute, the suspect is out again to continue stealing. So, since we are not permitted to beat them, we devised a means to punish them before sending them to the police,” Abba added.
Sunday PUNCH reports that while those who filmed the suspects may eventually forget the date, time and circumstances of the alleged theft, the internet and generations to come may continue to remind them of the humiliation.
The videos could resurface years later, even if the original posters have forgotten about the incidents or deleted the recordings from their devices.
A tech specialist, Obaru Oghekere, said the implications of such public humiliation and filming were dire, as the children of the suspects could grow up to see their parents being humiliated for stealing.
“This makes it far more problematic and critical for the culprits, or even a suspect wrongly accused of theft,” he added.
Sunday PUNCH reports that the phenomenon has already crossed from street punishment into popular culture and comedy.
A popular General Overseer of the Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministry in Onitsha, Anambra State, Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, known as Odumeje, in his usual comic way, while referring to the development, said, “This is not the year to steal, as without dance talent you will be in trouble.”
Also, another popular comedian and creator of the 4Fun Mamamia Comedy brand, Izuchukwu Chukwuka, said, “If you do not have talent, do not steal… If you steal and you don’t know how to dance, or sing, or play guitar, you’re finished.
“You can imagine if this is extended to politicians… you can imagine a minister coming to dance and say, ‘I stole road money…’” he jokingly said.
He warned Nigerians not to allow frustration to make them steal, as its consequences would be dire.
The new face of jungle justice
Legal experts said the compulsion to carry out the act not only curtails suspects’ human rights but also trades the courtroom for a stage, and due process for a viral clip.
A social media content creator and commentator, C-Judy, however, said that though “dancescipline” may be less harmful than the extrajudicial killings that have led to the deaths of promising young Nigerians, as was the case with 25-year-old Ibrahim Mbaya, who was killed in Jos, Plateau State, it still amounts to public humiliation.
Popularly known as “Ibee”, the Jos-Mbaya, a graduate of the University of Jos who was still processing an outstanding academic issue, had attended a social event on campus before deciding to spend the night at a friend’s residence on Ring Road because it was too late to return home to Rayfield.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the following morning, his friend allegedly informed him that an iPhone had gone missing and insisted that, since they were the only occupants of the room, he was the prime suspect.
The young model repeatedly told his accusers that he was innocent and had not stolen anything from his friend’s house, but his defence fell on deaf ears.
Mbaya was subjected to torture by a mob in an attempt to force a confession, despite his repeated insistence that he was innocent.
The assault reportedly lasted several hours, during which the victim was allegedly beaten with sticks and other objects until he became unconscious. He was later confirmed dead.
His death sparked outrage and renewed calls to end jungle justice in whatever form it presents itself.
Jungle justice against humanity and law
The renewed call against jungle justice, which the police, rights activists and civil society organisations, among others, are at the forefront of, is to ensure a saner society where all suspects are given the right to a fair hearing.
According to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the renewed calls against jungle justice are to ensure that every theft suspect is sent to the police for proper investigation and prosecution instead of an untrained mob deciding the fate of such a suspect, who may be innocent of the accusation.
Similarly, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yomi Aliyu, believes the barbaric nature of mob justice, mirrored in the dancing thief phenomenon, offends the provisions of the law.
He argued that the mob’s irrationality and the attempt to discourage theft are among the factors instigating such action.
He said the recurrence of abhorrent behaviour in society, such as kidnapping, child or women rituals, or burglary, could ignite the will in individuals to participate in mob action.
“However, the law frowns on mob action. The Criminal Code in Sections 7 and 8 provides for common intention and purpose. Section 516 of the said law deals with mob action and provides various punishments for it. Mob action is not only inhumane, but it is also criminal,” the SAN said.
Also, rights activist Emeka Ndukwe of Lawrence Ndukwe and Co. said the practice of compelling a thief to dance naked publicly is intended to deter the perpetrator of the crime and intending thieves from engaging in a similar or related act.
“It should be noted that taking the law into your own hands and hurting or killing a suspect is treated as a serious crime, such as manslaughter, murder or grievous assault.
“The Constitution protects every citizen through core rights that forbid mob rule. Section 33 of the Constitution provides the right to life, as no life shall be taken except by a competent court order,” he stated, adding that Section 34 also guarantees the right to human dignity.
“The conduct described raises serious questions under Section 34 of the Constitution, which protects the dignity of the human person and prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment,” he argued.
Ndukwe added that jungle justice is not permitted under our laws, but there is a serious need for security agencies and the courts to do more, with a view to dispensing justice timeously, no matter whose ox is gored.
Reacting further, a social media user, IA-Faysal, said such humiliation over food was unreasonable.
Reacting to the Edo State plantain theft suspects who were beaten, filmed and forced to dance, he said, “This is unreasonable, honestly. I feel anyone who steals food is because they are hungry. Such humiliation over food is just so not right.
“I don’t support theft. We have bigger thieves out there; they don’t steal food or items. Let’s all flex muscles on them and make videos so we all can laugh about it.”
It may lead to depression, suicidal ideation, suicide – Psychologists
A psychologist, Dr Fidel Okoye, warned that the public humiliation of persons suspected of theft could lead to depression and trigger suicidal thoughts and, in severe cases, eventually lead to suicide.
According to him, such humiliation can have a devastating effect on a suspect’s mental and emotional well-being, particularly when the individual feels that their pride, dignity and reputation have been seriously damaged.
“Being publicly accused, ridiculed or subjected to degrading treatment can cause intense shame, anxiety, depression and psychological trauma. The situation could become even more distressing when the suspect is innocent of the alleged crime and suddenly finds themselves in such a precarious situation,” he said.
Okoye, therefore, urged members of the public and authorities to handle theft allegations with caution and respect for human dignity, stressing that suspects should be allowed due process rather than being subjected to public humiliation or condemnation before the facts are established.
Corroborating his position, Sunday PUNCH highlights the case of a 34-year-old man identified as Iliya Adamu, who took his own life in 2022 after he was accused and publicly humiliated by his brother and others for allegedly stealing N40,000.
According to reports, the deceased, a bricklayer working in Girei LGA, was accused by his brother of stealing the money in April 2022.
Residents of the community, it was learnt, said the deceased maintained his innocence, insisting that he never took the money.
However, following the shame and embarrassment he experienced as a result of the accusation, as well as the constant disbelief that he did not steal the money, Adamu hanged himself on a tree.
The spokesperson for the state police command, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, confirmed the incident and said the command was investigating it.
Also, a 30-year-old student of a polytechnic in Kwara State, Al-Amin Mohammed, who felt his image had been tarnished after he was arrested, detained and humiliated by police at the Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, over an N8,000 debt, also took his life.
Treat mob violence as homicide – Police Inspector-General
As a way of tackling the trend, on August 25, 2026, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, ordered a nationwide crackdown on jungle justice and mob action.
Speaking in a video posted on the X handle of the Nigeria Police Force, monitored and transcribed by our correspondent, Disu directed police commissioners in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to treat every case of mob violence as homicide.
The IGP said no community, vigilante group or association had the legal authority to arrest, try, convict or execute a person based on suspicion, accusation, rumour or social media evidence.
“Jungle justice is murder. It is not justice. It is a crime, and the Nigeria Police Force will treat it as such. It is illegal. Nigeria operates under the rule of law, not mob rule. No citizen, no community, no group has the right to try, sentence or execute another person.
“Sections 33, 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, guarantee every Nigerian, even as a suspect, the right to life, dignity and fair hearing. Mob action violates the victim’s right to life, dignity and fair hearing,” Disu said.
The IGP said the law presumes every person innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, noting that suspicion, allegations, photographs or videos cannot replace proper investigation and judicial proceedings.
He warned that those who kill suspected criminals could face murder charges and severe punishment under Nigerian law, saying that anybody who assaults or summarily executes a suspected criminal is guilty of murder, which is punishable by death.
“Section 319 of the Criminal Code and Section 221 of the Penal Code are very clear about this. Any person who unlawfully kills another person is guilty of murder or manslaughter, depending on the circumstances.
“Anybody who plans, incites or encourages the mob by giving them support, even without laying a hand on the victim, is criminally liable.
“Those who merely share or support the acts can be charged with conspiracy or will be charged with conspiracy to murder, and this carries 14 years’ imprisonment,” the IGP warned.
Disu cited the March 2025 killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State, as a reminder of the consequences of mob justice.
He said similar incidents had resulted in people being killed over unverified allegations, including students accused of stealing phones and young people attacked over allegations of blasphemy or ritual activities.
Position of the law
Sunday PUNCH reports that the Constitution stipulates that suspecting someone of theft does not remove their constitutional right to dignity. It provides that a person charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until proved guilty.
Section 34 protects the dignity of the human person against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. This squarely covers the stripping, beating and forced performance seen in those videos.
Section 35 guarantees personal liberty, while Section 36 guarantees a fair hearing before a court of competent jurisdiction.
So, a crowd that detains a suspect, strips him and orders him to perform may violate several of these provisions simultaneously, before a single blow is thrown.
Sections 20–23 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 allow a private person, in specified circumstances, to arrest a suspect. But Section 23(1) says that a private person who makes such an arrest shall immediately hand the suspect over to a police officer or take him to the nearest police station.
Section 8(1) states that a suspect must be accorded humane treatment and “not be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
In other words, the law provides a route for dealing with a suspected thief: arrest where legally permitted, hand the suspect over to the police for investigation and prosecution where appropriate; it does not authorise mob punishment.
Only court can determine guilt – Supreme Court
In Shalla v. State (2007), the Court of Appeal reaffirmed that only a court of law can determine guilt and impose punishment. So, a mob cannot substitute itself for the judiciary, no matter how confident it is of a suspect’s guilt.
