Journal of Development Communication And Applied Theatre

The criminalisation of Nigerian youth through appearance-based profiling, stereotyping, and collective suspicion remains a significant concern in contexts where public distrust of formal justice mechanisms may contribute to extrajudicial responses such as mob justice. This study examines how scapegoating and moral panic contribute to the construction of Nigerian youth as perceived threats and targets of communal violence, using TokaMcBaror‘s 2023 film Dark October as a case study. Drawing on Stanley Cohen‘s moral panic framework, the study employs qualitative textual and thematic analysis to examine how profiling, gossip, stereotypes, and misinformation contribute to the representation of the four students as ―folk devils‖ and facilitate their wrongful accusation and lynching. The analysis reveals that Dark October presents mob justice not as an isolated act of communal violence but as the culmination of social suspicion, prejudice, misinformation, institutional distrust, and the rapid construction of perceived threats. The study further demonstrates that appearance-based stereotyping can intensify the criminalisation of young people by transforming ordinary social differences into markers of presumed criminality. The paper argues that addressing mob justice and the scapegoating of Nigerian youth requires stronger institutional accountability, improved public trust in the justice system, responsible media representation, and community-based interventions against misinformation and harmful stereotypes. The study concludes that challenging moral panic and scapegoating is essential to protecting youth, strengthening due process, and promoting respect for the rule of law.

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