‘Dancescipline’: Forced dancing of theft suspects sparks legal, human rights concerns
A growing practice of forcing suspected thieves to dance, sing or perform before crowds after being apprehended is raising concerns among legal practitioners, rights advocates and psychologists, who say public humiliation cannot replace due process.
The practice, popularly described online as “dancescipline”, involves members of the public compelling suspects accused of stealing to perform while being recorded on mobile phones.
Videos of such incidents have circulated on social media, showing suspects being forced to dance while members of the public laugh, jeer and record the scenes.
One of the suspects, identified as Moses, reportedly told Sunday PUNCH that he was forced to dance by a crowd at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex after being accused of theft.
He said he feared being attacked and had pleaded to be taken to the police, but the crowd instead ordered him to dance while recording the incident.
Similar incidents have reportedly been recorded in different parts of the country, including cases involving alleged theft of laptops, plantains and other items.
Supporters of the practice have argued that it is preferable to beating or killing suspects through jungle justice, claiming that public humiliation could discourage people from stealing.
However, legal experts and rights advocates have warned that replacing physical violence with forced public humiliation does not make the practice lawful.
They argued that suspects remain entitled to dignity, fair hearing and due process until a competent court determines their guilt.
The 1999 Constitution guarantees the dignity of the human person and the right to fair hearing, while the Administration of Criminal Justice Act provides for humane treatment of suspects and prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Legal practitioners also noted that where a private individual lawfully arrests a suspect, the person should be handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution rather than being subjected to punishment by a crowd.
Psychologists have equally warned that public humiliation can have serious consequences for victims, including shame, anxiety, depression and psychological trauma. The consequences may be particularly severe where the person is wrongly accused.
The Nigeria Police Force has also intensified its position against jungle justice. Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, directed police commissioners nationwide to treat mob violence as a serious criminal matter and warned that no individual, community or group has the authority to arrest, try, convict or execute a person based solely on suspicion or accusation.
The police chief stressed that allegations, photographs or social media videos cannot replace proper investigation and judicial proceedings.
The debate surrounding “dancescipline” therefore goes beyond whether the practice is less violent than mob killing. It raises a broader question about whether public humiliation of suspects can ever constitute justice in a society governed by the rule of law.
