„Angry Mob Dem Killy Barawo”

Jungle Justice in Nigeria Through Ajebo Hustlers’ Barawo and The #EndSARS Movement

Abstract

In this essay, I present Ajebo Hustlers, the Nigerian pop duo. Their song, Barawo demonstrates current social issues in Nigeria. I also present their other Nigerian collaborator, Davido. The main topic of this paper is jungle justice: what is it and how can it still be present in today’s Nigeria? The analysis mentions the so-called vigilante groups, whose activities contributed to the normalization of violence in Nigeria. To demonstrate mass violence through a reallife example, the Aluu Four lynching is presented, which inspired Ajebo Hustlers in their work with Barawo. I analysed the song’s lyrics and music video (which was uploaded to the video streaming platform, YouTube) to demonstrate the social message the music duo is conveying. The paper also looks at SARS and the #EndSARS movement launched against its activities. In the context of these demonstrations, it is important to highlight the Lagos Lekki protest, which resulted in the deaths of several victims after the Nigerian military and police forces opened fire upon them.