Calabar, Cross River State, was thrown into shock on Tuesday as the lifeless body of a young man, believed to be a victim of jungle justice, was discovered in front of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway.
The unidentified victim, suspected to have been lynched for alleged theft, was dumped near the busy secretariat under the cover of night. Residents fear the move was intended to prevent authorities from tracing the perpetrators of the killing.
By Wednesday morning, the corpse had already begun to decompose, filling the air with a foul stench. Witnesses described the body as swollen and blistered, with signs suggesting it may have been burned before being abandoned. The disturbing sight has forced commuters and pedestrians to avoid the area, disrupting activities at the nearby bus stop.
Read also:
- Calabar Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital’s workers clash with CMD
- Suspected ritualists behead 18 -year-old boy in Calabar|
- Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad arrests 3 suspected cultists in Calabar, recover firearm
Residents expressed outrage over the incident, calling on the Ministry of Environment and security agencies to immediately evacuate the remains. They warned that the decaying body not only poses a public health risk but also paints a grim picture of lawlessness in the city.
Jungle justice remains a recurring menace in Nigeria, with human rights groups repeatedly condemning the practice as barbaric and unlawful. Despite several campaigns and warnings from authorities, mob killings continue to claim lives, often without proof of guilt.
As at the time of filing this report, officials had yet to remove the body, leaving many in Calabar worried about both the health implications and the growing culture of impunity.
