The Plateau State Police Command has arrested female students allegedly involved in the assault of a fellow student in Pankshin Local Government Area, warning that recording and uploading violent acts on social media could attract additional criminal liability.
The command said the students were arrested after a disturbing video showing them attacking another female student was brought to its attention.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Jos, saying the Commissioner of Police, Ayodeji Faniyan, immediately directed the Area Commander in Pankshin to act following receipt of the video.
According to him, the suspects would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jos after which they would be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
“Immediately the CP got wind of it, he directed the Area Commander to act immediately, which they have done. The students have been arrested and they will be transferred here to State CID, from where they will subsequently be charged to court,” Alabo said.
He condemned the assault, stressing that the incident involved more than physical violence, as the perpetrators allegedly recorded the act and circulated it on social media.
Alabo said, “When you do things like this, you are committing an offence. You are committing cybercrime. You have the intention of going to assault somebody, trespassing into that person’s space and also put up a video to record your whatever you went there to do, which is violent.
“And you put it up on social media. It is bad; it is a crime. You are committing a serious crime.”
The police spokesperson also warned members of the public, particularly youths, against resorting to jungle justice whenever they are aggrieved.
He said taking the law into one’s hands could result in the commission of multiple offences beyond the original dispute.
“Jungle justice is a crime. In the process of committing this crime, sometimes you will commit several other crimes. It’s not just you hitting somebody or meting violence against your fellow human being; it is also you even having the mind to record it that is cybercrime, and you will post it again,” he said.
Alabo said the quick intervention of the police prevented the situation from escalating into something more serious, adding that members of the public should always report disputes to the appropriate authorities.
He urged students and other residents to seek lawful avenues for resolving grievances rather than taking matters into their own hands.
“Let us stay away from jungle justice. Learn to report to a third party that has the authority to hear your matter and to give you the justice that you deserve,” he said.
Alabo also appealed to parents, guardians and school authorities to encourage students to report disputes and criminal incidents to the police or other appropriate security agencies.
He thanked members of the public who provide information to the police, urging them to continue supplying timely and credible intelligence that could help security agencies prevent crimes and conflicts from escalating.
The police spokesperson reiterated that the arrested students would be transferred to the State CID and charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation.
