Mr Sunday Oyinloye, Publisher of Green Savannah Diplomatic Cable, has called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to take decisive action against the rising incidents of ritual killings of girls across the nation.
Oyinloye made the appeal on Tuesday in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in response to the recent killing of Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
Lawal was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Abdulrahman Bello, whom she met on social media.
Oyinloye emphasised that the rise in such incidents not only puts Nigerian girls at risk but also damages the nation’s image internationally.
He attributed the growing frequency of these crimes to the failure of the government at all levels to effectively address the issue.
He noted that many Nigerian youths have abandoned legitimate means of wealth acquisition, turning to ritual killings, which he described as gradually becoming normalised in the country.
Oyinloye revealed that his organisation launched a campaign against ritual killings in January 2022 and had continued this effort independently over the past three years.
In spite of the lack of support, he affirmed that the organisation remained committed to the cause.
“When we started this campaign in 2022 and released a jingle, the then Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, assured that the Federal Government would initiate a widespread anti-ritual killing awareness campaign.
“However, nothing has been done since then,” Oyinloye said.
He added that the organisation’s efforts include translating the jingle into the three major Nigerian languages and airing it on local radio stations to reach grassroots communities.
Oyinloye stressed that the fight against ritual killings must also involve traditional and religious leaders, who he urged to speak out against the practice.
He called on Nigerian youths to reject the temptation of seeking quick wealth through violence and instead embrace hard work and legitimate business opportunities.
“It is tragic that innocent girls are being murdered, and their body parts sold at absurd prices.
“Taking someone’s life for money rituals is both inhumane and misguided,” he said, further urging youths to abandon the evil practice and focus on honest work.
He also advocated for the implementation of the death penalty for those convicted of ritual killings, without the possibility of prison sentences.
Oyinloye commended the Nigerian police for their efforts in tackling ritual killings and called for greater public support in the fight against this heinous practice.
Additionally, he lauded the Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, for issuing a directive condemning ritual killings and encouraged other traditional leaders to follow suit in protecting Nigeria’s image. (NAN)
