By Bertram Nwannekanma

Petition seeking to criminalise ritual killings garners 1,125 signatories

Worried by unprecedented spate of kidnapping and ritual murders happening in Nigerian communities, a group, Nigerian Global Affairs Council (NiGAC) has called for death sentence for ritualists in the country. The group is also demanding that the National Assembly (NASS) criminalises ritual killings and kidnapping to protect lives of citizens. NiGAC said it will be working with interested parties in designing and advocating for the passage of the anti-ritual activities bill, which will amongst others make it extremely illegal to practice openly or behind the closet ritualist activities utilising human man being as sacrifice. Meanwhile, the group’s petition seeking to criminalise ritual killings in the country has garnered 1,125 signatories against an expected 1,500. According to the petition, women have become endangered species with the recent increase in ritual murders that have pervaded the Nigerian ecosystem, especially the murder of a 22-year-old lady, Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole, in cold blood by ritualist murderers in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a government-private sector partnership venture to provide safe and affordable transport for Lagosians. It said: “Whilst celebrating all the biases that have been broken, this event of the last 60 hours gives a somber reality of how decayed our society has become due to our lust for quick and unexplained wealth; we celebrate those that should be scorned and elevate them like they are the standards we are meant to aspire for. “We see young men display in Nigeria and showcase ritualistic activities that are meant to take us back to the stone age of baser men, they are everywhere at major bus stops, social media platforms, and even at unholy hours performing ritualistic activities . “The allure of social media has normalised this absurd behaviour and it needs to STOP. “Ritual Killings, which involve human sacrifice starts with these open and unfettered displays of baser activities. “We should wonder and shudder at what they do behind the scenes if they have no shame or iota of sobriety to post what they do publicly. We need to illegalise such absurd displays of ritual activities by young men in Nigeria. “The Nigerian Global Affairs Council condemns in its entirety all forms of ritual murders, ritual activities, ritual displays and ritual tendencies practiced by murderous individuals/entities including condemning individuals, who act as accessories to these murderous crimes. “We ask that an emergency be placed on this debauchery, which has become the norm in Nigeria. “On this day, we sadly celebrate Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole because her death has brought to the fore the dastardly act that has pervaded our society, her death has awakened the fact that every one of us is a potential (Oluwabamise Ayanwole) victim, we are no longer safe even in places where we assumed we would be safest.” That the anti-ritual activities bill among others, will seek to achieve the following: *Ritualist activities, which include the administrator (Babalawo or Herbalist) of such ritual killings, the accomplice to such ritual killings, and the beneficiary of such ritual killings will be sentenced to immediate death by hanging without with an option for appeal, if their murderous crime of ritual killings is proved beyond every reasonable doubt to be true. *Anyone found to publicly display ritualistic activities whether on and off social media, including within or outside the confines of their abode will be arrested and tried according to the tenets of this law and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, if found and proven guilty beyond every reasonable doubt, they will be sentenced to jail for between 15-50 years, without an option for appeal. * The bill also seeks to make life, safety and environmental awareness training compulsory for all children of school age, including adults. It means that nursery, primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions must partner with a life, safety, and environmental awareness company to offer training and simulation exercises that help reduce and prevent these scenarios of needless deaths as seen in recent times.” “Our people must be equipped to defend themselves and call for help. Any institution found wanting in instituting this training would be held culpable and fined as determined by a judge in any state or Federal Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This rule also applies to corporate organisations and small businesses.,” it said.