The gory and painful deaths visited on fellow citizens by ritual killers has become a source of utmost concern in Nigeria in recent times. Social and traditional media has been awash with stories of how innocent young men and women have fallen victim of evil plots by friends to use them for the money rituals. Even more worrisome is the fact that in recent times, there has been an upsurge in the commission of crimes connected to money rituals involving the youth. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, killing for the purpose of “money rituals” has become more common in Nigerian society. There is apparent concern amongst citizens both within and outside government that if something is not done to arrest the trend, the lives of many more would be in jeopardy. Recently, the House of Representatives expressed concern about the trend, just as it requested that the government declare a national emergency on ritual killings.
Findings on the trend by The Explainer indicates that the practice of ritual killings in the pursuit of money did not just begin. The alarming reality however is that the trend has grown to such dangerous proportions that it has become weird and terrifying. Like it is the case with many other problems facing the country, the government seems to be at loss with respect to what should be done to address the challenge. In recent times, the government and its law enforcement agencies have been unable to curb the activities of killers who are hell-bent on getting rich without breaking a sweat.
As such, the country has been besieged with blood-curdling stories of ritual killings with very few cases of perpetrators being brought to justice. The cruelty with which ritual killers operate is in most circumstances, not only alarming but also numbing. Whatever the case may be, the emergence of young ritual killers eventually portrays Nigeria as a nation at its lowest point in terms of moral degeneration, slothfulness, and contempt for hard work. Without a doubt, the loss of values in society, the unbridled desire for quick wealth without commensurate hard work and parents lack of attention to their children’s sudden wealth have all contributed significantly to the emergence of an army of young killers willing to go to any length to cover their tracks and hide from law enforcement agents while carrying out their nefarious trade, particularly Internet fraud.
Indeed, responsibility for the threat that is grabbing the country by the neck must be shared fairly amongst parents, religious leaders, the political elite, and the entire community for failing to nip the rot in the bud when it was still in its infancy. However, aware of the national threat that has engulfed the country, the government also has a critical role to play in ensuring that there is a lot of exposure and that young people are educated about the futility of embracing lifestyles that lead to human mutilation for money rituals and other horrible crimes.
Whether or not they are caught in the act, young people need to understand the far-reaching implications and repercussions of murder. A government that is committed to eradicating this social threat cannot be made up of secret cults who have used shady tactics to enhance their political careers. Our religious organizations, community leaders, non-governmental organizations, and the National Orientation Agency should begin serious sensitization on the evils of ritual and wealth. Beyond these however, the fundamental question relates to how the government can put in place an effective youth engagement strategy. With youth unemployment hovering around 50 percent in an economy that has failed to create the quantum of jobs required to engage the teeming youth, deadly social vices would become the resort for frustrated youth.
Irrespective of the postulations and pontifications of the political leaders, as long as majority of the young people do not see themselves as part of the society, and by extension, the economy, they will always act in ways, which hurt society. Arresting the growing trend of ritual killings by the youth is therefore a collective responsibility. Individuals, families, societies, censorship boards, religious bodies, governmental organization, non-governmental all have a quota to contribute in this regard. In the final analysis, the leaders of the country must also take full responsibility for the moral mess and the hellhole Nigeria has become. Officials who benefit from the bloated and inefficient governance structure, who do not feel they should prune down what they are taking from the treasury are directly or indirectly creating the basis for anti-social behaviors like ritual killings.
