OPINION: Youths, Obscene Display Of Wealth And Anti Social Behaviour || Mosope Kehinde
Over the years, Nigeria has been faced with various security challenges ranging from kidnapping, banditry, robbery to insurgency.
Unfortunately, just as Nigerians are heaving a sigh of relief on the drastic reduction in farmers/herders clashes and hoping for a more robust approach to find lasting solutions to insecurity, the fear of ritualists has now become the beginning of wisdom for many.
In the recent times, there have been increasing cases of human rituals for money.
Early last year, some boys were arrested by the police for the murder of one Miss Sofiyat in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
While confessing to the crime, one of the boys who were between ages 17 and 19, confessed to have beheaded the young lady who happens to be his lover, for money ritual, adding that the knowledge of carrying out the dastardly act was acquired through the social media.
Another couple was arrested and apprehended in Ogun state for being in possession of fresh human parts, suspected to be used for money ritual.
Meanwhile, a similar case was reported in Ondo state, where some suspected ritualists were caught with body parts of an innocent girl and were handed over to security agencies.
In February 2023, The police command in Ogun arrested five suspected members of a gang that specialises in exhuming corpses and removing their body parts for rituals while in January same year, eight suspects, including a couple, explained to the Police in Ogun State how they lured, killed, butchered and sold the body parts and organs of a female friend.
They told the Police that after killing her, they cut off the head, legs and the two hands, which they sold to ready buyers between thirty and Fifty thousand naira only .
The cause of these increase in ritual for money among the youths are not farfetched as obscene display of wealth, wide gap between the rich and poor, lack of good parenting, coupled with broken homes, unemployment, present economic situation and lack of moral values constitute major factors.
Many of these culprits, most times commit these atrocities for them to become the so called big boys in town, driving exotic cars and levelling up with what they see on social media or movies
However, there are no excuses whatsoever, for anyone to take the life of another for the aim of amassing wealth, this trend of crime might remain unabated if the earlier highlighted challenges are not addressed by concerned authorities.
There is the need for urgent and vigorous campaigns on value reorientation as well as the concept of good deeds especially among Nigerian youths who are expected to be the future leaders.
It is also imperative for governments to have standpoints on the recent trend of ritual killings which if not checked, would continue to negatively affect the image of the country among the committee of nations.
No doubt, relatives of the slain girls and other victims of the ritual killings must get justice while culprits and there accomplices, no matter how influenced should be made to face the wrath of the law, so as to serve as deterrent to others.
Parents and guardians should ensure proper upbringing of their children and wards and instill in them discipline and contentment.
They must teach them the importance of hard work for a better life with special attention on consequences of amassing wealth through evil means.
Furthermore, nollywood producers should as a matter of urgency desist from promoting money ritual movies as it has been proven that some of the perpetrators of the act were allegedly inspired by what they watched in movies and social media.
Religious leaders should stop preaching only about prosperity, when the holy books stated clearly that only the blessings of the lord make rich.
In addition, Nigerian youths should be “calming down” and channel their God given talents, energy and strength to develop themselves and the nation at large.
Mosope Kehinde is a media professional and consultant, journalists, writer, editor and entrepreneur. He is the publisher newsarena.ng
