Following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration on Nigeria’s development during his Independent Day speech, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, revealed that Nigeria won’t truly be independent until it addresses total insecurity, including ritual killings.
In a statement, the king stated that the country will not be totally independent unless the government liberates the territory from ritual killings.
According to him, the government must liberate Nigerians’ minds from ritual killings, which imperil the population.
“As we celebrate Independence Day, my thoughts are with the victims and families of ritual murders.
The prevalence of ritual killings is concerning. We will not be truly independent until Nigerians are free of the mental poverty that leads to the slaughter of innocent souls for ceremonial purposes.
“The blood in the soil hunts and injures. The government is making efforts, but the bloodsuckers are thwarting them.
The government must liberate the land by implementing legislation that will prohibit ritual killings.“Until the needful is done, I can’t proudly say we are independent” .
Bottom Line
Ritual killings in Nigeria are tied to deep-seated beliefs, poverty, and a lack of education, which create an environment where such practices can thrive.
Addressing these issues requires a multi-faceted approach involving legal reform, law enforcement, and public education to shift cultural mindsets and end the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for ritualistic purposes.
Oba Akanbi’s emphasis on “mental poverty” is significant because it points to the need for a change in societal values, not just enforcement of laws.
