Okechukwu says there has been an increase in reported cases of ritual killings in recent times in different parts of the country.
The House of Representatives has on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on ritual killings in Nigeria.
The lawmakers made the call following a motion sponsored by Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Toby Okechukwu.
The house also charged the National Orientation Agency (NOA), parents, schools, religious leaders, and the media to embark on a national campaign to change the narrative on ritual killings in the country.
While speaking on the floor of the house, Okechukwu said there has been an increase in reported cases of ritual killings in recent times in different parts of the country.
The lawmaker said merchants of the wicked acts use social media to advertise their evil business, adding that ritual killing has become a predominant theme in home videos.
He said, “The upsurge of reported ritual killings with increasing cases of abductions and missing persons in different parts of the country, which in most cases, the culprits also rape, maim, kill and obtain sensitive body parts of unsuspecting victims for rituals.
“Merchants of such wicked acts often use social media as a ready tool to advertise their evil behaviour. Ritual killing has become a predominant theme in most homemade movies which if not checked, our younger generation may begin to view as an acceptable norm.
“There are several reports where law enforcement agents arrested and paraded suspects of ritual killings with gory pictures of human skulls and dismembered bodies.
Okechukwu further argued that despite the proliferation of mosques and churches in Nigeria, the menace is on the rise with Nigerian youths seeking wealth through ritual killings, while their counterparts in other climes are embracing science and technology.
He said, “Fake clerics, imams, herbalists and native doctors are often complicit in the heinous practices. Although our communities are getting more religious with the proliferation of churches and mosques, the ugly trend of ritual killing is on the rise as the quest for wealth at all costs pervades our society.
“Youths in other climes are embracing science and technology as a way of maintaining pace with our dynamic world, some of our youths seem stuck in the mistaken belief that sacrificing human blood is the surest route to wealth, safety, and protection.
“Such cruel and barbaric acts should no longer be promoted in our society given the demands of today’s world.”
The lawmaker maintained that the Nigerian movie industry and the media have roles to play in “moulding behavioral patterns in our society”.
When Okechukwu’s submission was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase, the motion was unanimously adopted.
