The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, has demanded that the governors of South West states to make sure that the Southwest Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, is also tasked with rooting out “traditional corruption” and ritual killings.

In a statement released by his press secretary, Ali Ibrahim, the controversial traditional ruler said that ritual killing is more recurrent and deadlier than Fulani herdsmen’s abominable activities.

While drawing Yoruba stakeholders’ attention to the menace of ritual killings, the Oluwo insisted that politicians should be held accountable for trading their game with kidnappings.

He expressed disappointment that the stakeholders are not discussing how to eradicate ritual killings in the ongoing support for the Amotekun.

Oluwo said:

Amotekun as an institution should be made to fight traditional corruption, most especially ritual killings which consume our children’s blood daily. There is blood of innocent people in the street. It is a failure on the part of government, traditional institution and other stakeholders that no severe legislation is enacted to punish ritual killers and their accomplices.

I am not condemning Amotekun but I am talking about better direction of job specification and scope of roles for the regional security outfit. Amotekun’s oversight functions should be streamlined to solve fundamental challenges facing us. It is disheartening that we misplace our priority.

Tell me a day that we don’t read in the newspapers or listen over over the radio or television of innocent boys and girls been killed by ritual killers with their vital parts removed. As a royal father I am not comfortable with the silence of the authorities on menace of ritual killing. Or have we traditionally legalized ritual killings or why are we so silent on the such acts perpetrated by some bad elements within the society against fellow humans? Or are we all beneficiaries of ritual killings?

I want to charge all stakeholders to streamline the activities of Amotekun to prioritize checkmating of ritual killings so as to protect innocent lives and enact death penalty for any culprit caught killing fellow human for rituals. I am not happy with ritual killers. They are not humans. Government should help us by enacting a law against ritual killings. Whether male or female, those killed by the ritual killers is my children. This must stop. Humans are not animals that you slaughter, kill and dismember. It is an aberration. Such is never part of any culture. We should empower Amotekun to elinmate such a barbaric act.

Just imagine, an innocent university final year student was killed in Ikoyi-Ile few weeks ago, out of ignorance that a spirit will bring money. It is poverty of the mind that could make someone be so gullible. Now, the child is gone. What a wicked act. What are we doing as people to curtail such acts must be important to us. So, we need an institution that will allay fear against such an act.

Additionally, to fight traditional corruption, we need agents of unquestionable characters and not accomplice of ritual killers. We need a transparent institution that will lead us out of daily killing of our children for money, promotion, popularity and so on.

The Oluwo appealed to Nigerians, particularly pastors, alfas and herbalists to absorb new approaches to offering sacrifices like beautifying public places and economic empowerment programmes for the vulnerable people in the society, amongst others. He noted that

these are rewarding, promotional and more naturally acceptable than killing fellow humans for ritual.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.