The Nigerian House of Representatives has resolved to declare a national emergency on ritual killings in the country.
This was followed a unanimous adoption of a motion on the urgent need to curb the rising trend of ritual killings in Nigeria sponsored by the House’s Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Toby Okechukwu.
Presenting the motion, Mr. Okechukwu said the incidents of ritual killings have assumed an alarming rate in Nigeria in recent times.
The lawmaker who quotes a Red Cross Report in 2017, indicating that there are 10,480 cases of missing persons in Nigeria observed that the merchants of such wicked acts use the social media to advertise their evil acts.
The Minority leader, also accused the movie industry of frequently dramatizing the evil act which can have negative impact on youths.
He said “Ritual killings have become a dominant thing in most home video, movies which if not check our younger generation may begin to view it as an acceptable norms.”
While expressing alarm by the moral decadence in the society that has promoted the get rich quick syndrome among the youths, the lawmaker said the media also have a role to play in stopping the ugly trend.
“While Youths in other clime are embracing science and technology as the way of maintaining peace with the dynamic World, some of our Youth seem stuck in the mistaken believe that sacrificing human blood is the surest road to one’s safety and protection.” Mr. Okechukwu added.
Adopting the motion, the House called on the media, National Orientation Agency, parents, heads of schools as well as religious leaders to undertake a campaign to change the negative narrative that is pervading the country.
The House also urged the Executive Director, National Film and Video Censor Board to rise to the mandate of the agency as the clearing house of all movies made in Nigeria.
It also called on the Inspector General of Police to take urgent steps to increase surveillance and intelligence gathering with a view to apprehend and prosecute all the perpetrators of ritual killings in Nigeria.
