The word jungle is used to describe the state of being uncivilized, unpolished, raw, existing by the law of primitive impulse. The history of humanity shows that life as we know it today started in the jungle, living like wild animals and obeying only the law of survival. What this implies is that you either kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. The most important thing was to survive, not minding how. In this state, human beings developed different defence mechanisms and skills including subterfuge, extreme violence, betrayal, etc.
As time passed, human beings learnt to live together in communities. They learnt ways of taming friendly animals and keeping those they could not tame away. A lot of development took place when human beings discovered the power in working together to achieve common goals. They could build high towers, air planes, automobiles and so much more. In the same vein, human beings realized that jungle life was dishonourable and should be jettisoned. This realization gave rise to the enactment of various rules to guide activities of the civilized human being. What this implies is that the difference between the jungle man and the civil man is the rule of law.
The level of civilization in any society therefore is measured by how strong their laws are. The law in this instance includes the provisions of the law, the efficiency of the law officers and law enforcement agencies. Whenever the rule of law is weak, the society tends towards the jungle state and anarchy. The knowledge of how terrible jungle life is persuades every right thinking fellow to lend his full support to the enthronement and fortification of the rule of law.
It is therefore disheartening to observe how our own society is gradually degenerating to a full jungle society. A walk through Douglas Road, Owerri reveals to the careful observer that the place is actually a jungle zone where all kinds of evil are perpetrated by human beings who are supposed to be civilized.
Those who are familiar with the craze of Lagos jungles will call what happens at Douglas road a child’s play. Every part of this country has these jungles where the same survival games in the thick forests are on display. The only difference is that in the forest, the actors do not wear fanciful clothes while the city jungles are made up of people who wear expensive dresses and answer city guys and ladies.
Of recent, there has been an upsurge of killings of all descriptions. On social media, we are treated to gory sights of fellow human beings being sliced through like meat. Human beings hear an alarm and pronto, they catch a fellow human being, adorn him or her with tyres, pour fuel on this person that has merely been accused of a crime. Before anyone can pronounce Amadioha, this person is up in flames. They watch him or her die in excruciating, unimaginable pains and they are satisfied that they have served the cause of justice. Haba!
Some people have designated themselves soldiers of their chosen God and take it upon themselves to kill anyone who refuses to acknowledge this their God and worship the way they do. They condemn these unfortunate fellows and execute judgment on them without any recourse to the rule of law.
Recently, I heard that a homosexual young man was lynched by an angry mob in the western part of the country. According to the story, the people thought he was a normal, responsible man until he was caught pants down in the act with a highly placed politician.
The irate mob made up of righteous people unleashed holy anger on him, beating and clubbing him until their angst was spent. The man later died in the hospital. Now, I am curious. Why did they not beat up the other man? Is it because he was a serving local government councillor? Maybe some of his constituents were part of the mob and naturally protected him. Maybe his security detail was alert and quickly took him away from the trouble zone. Yes too many maybes because the cause of justice was not served. If what they did was a crime, they should have been taken to court to face the law. That way, the two people would be tried and if found guilty, would face the music. That way, one person would not be given capital punishment for an act that did not take any body’s blood or property, while his mate in the same act moves on, probably to the next partner, boy or girl as his libido directs.
Jungle justice is evil and must be stopped because very many people have been sent to untimely graves because of it.
It is important for the government to do everything possible to strengthen our judiciary so that we can move as far away as possible from the region of jungle existence.
The people on the streets who are the perpetrators of acts of jungle justice usually posit that they do not trust the law enforcement agents and the process of adjudication in the country. They use these excuses to defend their barbaric acts. While I will call for a drastic change in these areas, I do not think they are enough reasons to take away the life of a fellow human being. Some have been killed for stealing bread to quench their hunger in a society where there is no social programme to take care of such issues. I do not support stealing, but I advocate a humane system that tries to prioritize the welfare of citizens and punish erring persons according to the enormity of their crimes. Killing a person for stealing bread is like using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito.
Finally, I believe that true enlightenment will help us to have a truly civil society. The government should work towards improvement in educational standards. We should stop going to school just to acquire certificates but to be taught how to reason logically. If everyone on the street is properly educated, I am sure that no one will see killing someone immediately he is caught as a means of serving the cause of justice.
NNENNA Ihebom
