Police commands and stakeholders across Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu states have attributed the rise in ritual killings in the South East to the get-rich-quick mentality among the youth.
The increase in ritual killings and other crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping has prompted state governments to establish security outfits to combat insecurity.
In Anambra, the police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, linked the trend to the quest for quick wealth and said the state government had enacted the Homeland Security Law to curb the menace. The law includes profiling native doctors and establishing security operations like Udogachi and Agunechemba.
Mrs. Rachel Yohanna of Davina Care Foundation blamed poverty, unemployment, and lack of parental care for pushing young people into ritual practices. Dr. Helen Obi, a lawyer, criticized the glorification of wealth on social media and by religious institutions.
In Ebonyi, the police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, said there had been no reports of ritual killings in the state but acknowledged that the crime was rampant due to society’s obsession with wealth. He called for the involvement of traditional rulers in tackling the issue.
Similarly, the police in Enugu, through its spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said no ritual killings had been recorded in the state.
Community leaders and activists have called for collaborative efforts among security agencies, traditional rulers, and religious institutions to address the problem. There are also calls for the establishment of special courts to fast-track the prosecution of ritual killing suspects.
