Nigeria’s woes appear worsened as ritualists, kidnappers walk the streets, visiting terror on innocent citizens. Although, the main cause of the gale of ritual murders and kidnappings across the country, particularly of minors, remains unconfirmed, BDSUNDAY gathered that they may not be unconnected with the quest by some Nigerians to become rich by all means.
Meanwhile, citizens have been urged to be more careful in their day-to-day activities within and outside their environments. The advice came on the heels of increasing activities of the harbingers of death who particularly target children.
A nationwide phenomenon
Ritual killing has become a nationwide phenomenon, with people attaching different reasons for the upsurge. While some said it has always been in existence but now made more real by the new media that makes latch on to circulate information as events are happening, some others believe the killings are politically motivated by those who want to win elections at all cost. Yet, there are others who say that the love of money is the real cost of the ugly trend.
Since the “Otokoto” incident in 1996, when the police in Owerri, in South East, arrested a man, Innocent Ekeanyanwu, with the head of a young boy, Ikechukwu Okonkwo, ritual killing has “grown in leaps and bounds” in the country. At that time, it was discovered that Innocent was part of a syndicate working for on Chief Duru, alias “Otokoto”.
Many years ago in Calabar, two men plucked out the eyes of a young lady, Adlyne Eze, for money-making ritual.
In Benin City, Edo State three young businessmen, Henry Nwoke, Uche Ajujo and Chinedu Okonkwo allegedly murdered their friend, (28 year old), Eze Nwoke for money rituals.
In April, a suspect, Momodu Bashir Ibrahim was said to have raped a woman and beheaded her two-year-old boy in a bush in Ofada town, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State.
On May 1, 2014, female youth corps member, Princess Emame Ikor Aduu, from Cross River State, serving in Anambra State was reportedly beheaded in Ebonyi State by yet-to-be identified persons.
A woman, Sukuratu Salami, dealing in human parts was said to have engaged the services of men who supplied the “goods” to her from the cemetery. But the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, said: “We discovered that most of these bodies are fresh. It is criminal to deal in human parts.”
Several kidnap attempts of children have also been foiled by the police across the country.
Recently, there was a bizarre discovery of forest of horror in Soka village in Ibadan, Oyo State where a house was littered with human body parts, imprisoned men and women and a basement full of skulls and skeletons.
A few days after, a similar forest was discovered in Ogun State. There was also somewhere at Iyana Egbado village in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the State where an underground cell suspected to be ritualists’ operation base was uncovered.
The belief by many Nigerians that they can become rich by certain hidden means (power of ‘juju’) or that as long as they continue to make human sacrifices, their wealth will be replenished, has continued to sharpen such people’s appetite for “blood money”.
Some others think that they can get the wife, husband or job of their choice, and that promotion, political fortunes, victory over enemies, boom in business, among others are possible through the blood of others.
“Nowadays, some people establish worship centres, using human beings to lay the foundation in the hope that they would be drawing worshippers using fake powers to work sings and wonders,” a man, who gave his name simply as Ade, said.
Experts who spoke with BDSUNDAY said Nigerians needed to be sensitised on security and how to be more aware of their surroundings.
Some other Nigerians who spoke with BDSUNDAY expressed the view that if the army of the unemployed youths is drastically reduced through creation of meaningful employment it will steer away desperate youths from turning into body part merchants, kidnappers and murderers. “Even at that, in a society where many people do not see dignity in labour but believe in get-rich-quick mentality, that creation of jobs will re-direct their values may be wishful thinking. Some of them are so entrenched in the human parts trade that brings them easy money, that no amount that is offered to them in a paid employment will discourage them from the filthy lucre of the bloody and barbaric trade,” another concerned Nigerian said.
Worried by the orgy of ritual killings across the country, some clerics recently rose from a meeting, stoutly condemning the heinous acts, including sales of human parts for whatever purpose.
The gospel ministers, under the umbrella of Urhobo Council of Bishops and Elders (UCBE), described the practice as barbaric and inhuman.
The group, in a statement jointly signed by Vincent Muoghereh and I.A Obie, the group’s chairman and secretary, respectively, said: “when the children are delivered, prospective customers pay for the babies and take these babies for whatever purpose for their purchase. We have degenerated to a level lower than animals, too bad.”
Views differ on possible causes
Ikechukwu Ibeabuchi, an Abuja-based businessman, associated the incessant kidnappings to harsh economic situation that has pervaded the landscape of the country. According to him, increased economic difficulties have pushed people into seeking ways of survival, irrespective of the morality of what they do.
“You can see that times are really hard. Kidnappers and ritually-inclined people are now increasing and on rampage because many of them want to survive, without thinking of the implication of what they intend to do. That is what may be called survival instincts. We have situations where people even kidnap themselves and demand ransoms from their relatives.’’
‘’Another reason is that people could also resort to kidnapping to send a message to the government. Of course in the Northern part of the country, it is ascribed to Boko Haram, but in the South-East and South-South, you can link it with fewness of opportunities and survival instincts.’
“But we must understand that kidnappers van demand ransom when they discover a child is from a rich home. But there are the other type who do that for ritual purposes,’’ Ibeabuchi concluded.
Samuel Oyigbo, lawyer and cleric, told BDSUNDAY that high rate of kidnapping in recent times could be linked to fast-approaching 2015 elections, greed as well as childlessness.
“Most times when elections approach, the rate of kidnapping rises as people shed innocent blood to acquire power. Apart from this, we also have greedy people who sell babies without involving the government or ministry of women affairs. It portrays that integrity is beginning to become a common commodity.’’
“You must also know that the rate of childlessness is on the rise. I have an interesting case I handled as a pastor (not as a lawyer), where a lawyer kidnapped another woman’s child and dared her to go ahead and do whatever she wanted to. The lawyer bribed the police and threatened the woman who had the child. The woman was able to provide sufficient evidence showing that the child was hers, while the child could even identify her home. But the lawyer could not provide anything to back up her claims. This is terrible. Many people cannot bear the shame of childlessness,’’ said Oyigbo.
Hebert Okwelogu, a Christian missionary, told BDSUNDAY that the trend could be linked to economic hardship, proliferation of prayer houses in the country as well as lack of forgiveness, which has become common among Nigerians. According to him, someone could kidnap another person’s child and even sell them just to settle scores.
‘’Yes, the election is coming and people may need to kidnap for ritual purposes. But beyond this, we have a number of insincere people who run prayer houses as business. There have been cases of human heads discovered in prayer houses and I can assure you that wolves in sheep’s clothing still exist. But this is expected as our Lord Jesus Christ forewarned us. Dig deep and you will find the connection between what some of them do and kidnapping of children,’’ he stressed.
Sade Thompson, a public affairs analyst, also ascribed the situation to rising economic hardship as well as inclination of some blood-minded politicians to acquire power by all means.
“Elections are fast approaching, so some politicians without the fear of God can go any length to win. Sometimes, they are promised victory by soothsayers, but the surprising thing is that at the end of the day, only one person occupies a position and all others who may have done rituals end up biting their fingers. Another point is that there is increased unemployment. From graduates to unlearned people, unemployment rate is up there. You find these unemployed youths going into kidnapping or even using the children for rituals. This is why I call on the government to create the atmosphere for the private sector to thrive so that they can create jobs,’’ she stated.
A commentator who preferred anonymity attributed the rising trend to lax security that exists in various parts of the country, which gives desperate people an opportunity to do anything, including kidnapping.
“In the North where there are soldiers, over 200 Chibok children were kidnapped. In the three regions of the South, where there is relative peace, children are kidnapped and kept for days without information. This gives others the leeway to continue since they know they could not be fished out,’’ said the well-informed commentator.
Caution
A sociologist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “From what I can read from all that is happening in the country as par the disappearances of people and widespread news of ritual killings, my advice is that people should be conscious of their environment.
“People must always leave notice of their whereabouts; they must be careful when boarding public buses. Parents must ensure that they monitor their children- be sure who takes them to and from school, who they play with in the compound, in the church and other places. As much as possible, people must avoid night journeys and outings. While visiting friends, before leaving your residence, you must give detail of the place, including the name of the person you are visiting.”
Another commentator said that the situation has become so scary that it is only divine protection that will suffice.
The public analyst reasoned that “except we all would have armed body guards following us everywhere, then people are still susceptible and prone to falling into the traps and clutches of these malevolent forces. For example, one of those found in the house of horror in Ibadan was kidnapped from the fore-court of her house, bundled into a car and driven off. Imagine a deserted street where most people have gone to work or school and an aged relative is sitting relaxing in the fore-court, and it will not seem so improbable.”
Zebulon Agomuo and Odinaka Anudu
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