By Ubong Usoro
Recently, we have noticed an ugly trend in the rise of ritual killings in our country, especially among young people, including teenagers. The advent of social media has opened the door for individuals to flaunt their flashy lifestyles, garnering likes and comments online. This has led many young people into intense pressure to keep up appearances and spend lavishly. In their quest for wealth, some are introduced to ritual killings as a means of making money.
Many of these ritualists spend months building friendships and rapport, waiting for the right moment to strike. Social media platforms offer a quick tool to lure victims by proposing love and affection.
Recently, four young men were arrested by the Kogi State Police Command for killing Damilola Olowoyo, 17, a 100-level undergraduate at the Federal University, Lokoja. The prime suspect, Jeremiah Awe, allegedly drugged and lured Damilola to a bush near his lodge in Felele, killing her for ritual purposes.
Jeremiah then informed Damilola’s parents that she had been kidnapped, demanding ransom from them to fund the ritual. He confessed to meeting the native doctor on the social media platform, TikTok. William Aya, the Kogi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, alleged that Barnabas Olugbenga, 20, Ajani Ayomide, 20, and Emmanuel Otitoju, 24, aided in the crime.
In August, Mojisola Awesu, 21, a graduate of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, was lured to a hotel in Ilorin under the guise of representing her friend at a party. She was paid N15,000 but was ultimately killed. Four men are currently on trial for her murder.
We also remember Ridwan, who, in 2023, killed his father for ritual purposes in Oshoku village, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Young girls are frequently deceived and preyed upon, leading to their untimely deaths. Some are drugged, raped, and then killed.
According to research by an NGO, the West African Network for Peace Building, Nigeria recorded 185 ritual-related deaths between January 2021 and January 2022. These incidents involved 43 women and 30 children in 80 cases across 20 states.
The moral fabric of our society is severely strained. We were once a community of peace-loving and hospitable people. Where did we go wrong? People are now willing to do “anything” for money. Today, our society celebrates luxurious lifestyles without asking questions. Those who struggle are mocked, called broke and lazy, pushing more young people into crime. Unemployment is also exacerbating the situation, but that said, there is no excuse for taking another person’s life.
We need a comprehensive approach to tackling this crime, involving economic, educational, religious, and societal sensitization. The void created by unemployment fosters desperation, leading young people to believe that selling or using human body parts can grant them spiritual power or wealth. Ritual killing is promoted within certain cults and secret societies. Families are wrecked, and destinies destroyed by these acts. Law enforcement must not sleep on this; they must rise to combat this crime by gathering good intelligence to stop it at its roots. Perpetrators of these crimes sometimes seem to be working for powerful individuals or groups, but there should be no sacred cows.
Human life is valuable and should not be toyed with.
