Nigeria, March 31 -- A horrific scene unfolded in Uromi, Edo State, where 16 travellers were lynched in broad daylight, whilst accused of being kidnappers. There was no trial, no investigation - just instant execution by an enraged mob convinced it was dispensing justice. But what if they were innocent? What if this was a deadly case of mistaken identity fuelled by fear, insecurity, and ethnic suspicion?

This latest act of jungle justice is neither the first nor would, sadly, be the last. Across Nigeria, communities, tired of crime and distrustful of law enforcement, have increasingly taken justice into their own hands. But in doing so, they have become the judge, jury, and executioner, leaving behind a trail of innocent lives, while dee...