Young ritualists on the rise

Otomewo Oritsejolomi Joshua

In 2021, the whole country was shocked at the murder of Iniubong Umoren, the 26 year old graduate of the University of Uyo, who was raped and murdered in Akwa Ibom. It was alleged that the murderer and his family were involved in the sale of body parts. Her case was the most prominent in what has become a spate of ritual murders since last year. 

According to the International Red Cross an estimated 22,000 people have been reported missing in Nigeria since 2018. And a good number of these people have disappeared as a result of ritual killings. Recently in Bayelsa state, three 15 year old boys were arrested before they could kill a girl they had hypnotized and kidnapped for rituals. The rate of young boys involved in ritual killings is appalling. Many of them now use their girlfriends or family members for rituals in the quest for quick money and being a big boy. 

It is a hard task to understand the workings of the mind of a ritual killer, the things that make a person kill another human unprovoked are unfathomable, but some factors have led to the rapid rise of ritual killings in Nigeria, especially among young boys.

Many have attributed this to a lack of home training. While it is the primary responsibility of the parent to bring up a child, it takes a village to raise him. And as our society slowly slides into moral decadence it is reflected in the behavior of children who have no moral values.

Others also think politicians sponsor this for dubious reasons.  As the 2023 elections are drawing closer the country becomes a more dangerous place. If a thorough investigation is made into the powers behind some ‘ritualists’ there will be no surprise if a politician is found behind the curtain pulling the strings. Politicians pay young boys to kidnap and kill people, so their body parts can be used to make potions, charms and other fetishes that fortify them ahead of the elections and which allegedly helps them succeed at the polls.

Also the Nigerian society has become increasingly materialistic as the years go by. People go out of their way to flaunt their wealth in many ostentatious ways, for example the case of Obi Cubana during his mother’s burial in 2021. As a result, even teenage boys in secondary school want to drive luxury cars and live in lavishly furnished houses. Just like the moneybags they see on TV and social media, without doing any legitimate work. They are ready to go as far as killing another person to live this life.

We can’t also discount the influence of Nigerian movies on this growing trend. Recently music producer, Samklef blamed Nollywood movies, English, Igbo and Yoruba as the reason young boys are doing ritual, as they promote fetish stuff in their movies. Young people are extremely gullible and will imitate what they see on TV. If the majority of the films coming out of Nollywood showcase rituals, then it is no surprise when young boys begin to practice it.

Furthermore as the threat posed by ritual killings continues to grow. There seems to be no effort on the part of the concerned law enforcement agents to combat this menace. And adequate punishment is not meted out to culprits. In some cases the police have been known to aid and abet the ritualist, a notable example is the SARS detention centre in Awkuzu, Anambra state that came to light during the EndSARS protest of 2020. When people know there are no serious consequences for rituals and might even be let off the hook if the right palms are greased then they see no reason to stop killing.

The war against ritual killings is for everybody. Ritual killing is a scourge. We should not rest until we create a society where human life is valued above all else. Concrete mechanisms have to be put in place to curb the menace, from stricter punishment to publishing a national register of confirmed ritualists. To ensure that we nip this problem in the bud before it gets out of hand.

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