In the Nigerian legal system, the doctrine of transferred intent generally ensures that mistaken identity does not serve as a valid defense for murder or kidnapping. Even if a perpetrator intended to harm someone else, the law holds them criminally liable for the consequences of their actions against the actual victim, as the intent to commit a violent crime is still present. This principle is grounded in the idea that the offender set a chain of events in motion with malicious intent, and the identity of the person who ultimately suffers is considered secondary to the criminality of the act itself. Therefore, while a defense attorney might argue for mitigation based on a lack of premeditation toward a specific individual, the courts typically treat these cases with the same severity as targeted killings. Justice is viewed through the lens of the harm caused to society and the victim, rather than the specific target the perpetrator had in mind when they initiated the violence.