Ritual killings have been a longstanding issue in Nigeria, but in recent years, these gruesome practices have taken a terrifying turn. Young women, especially, are increasingly becoming targets, with reports of their abductions, murders, and use in ritualistic practices growing alarmingly. These heinous crimes are often driven by the desire for wealth, power, and success — notions that are now being amplified by various factors, including the influence of social media and the harsh economic realities young Nigerians face.
But why are young women the primary victims? What has led to the rise of these ritual killings, and how is it shaping a future where women are left vulnerable?
The Factors Behind the Rise of Ritual Killings
Ritual killings in Nigeria have deep cultural and societal roots. Historically, rituals involving human sacrifices have been practiced in various parts of the country, tied to beliefs in the supernatural, magic, and spiritual interventions. However, what was once rooted in tradition has now taken a dangerous twist with modern-day greed and desperation fueling the practice.
The Role of Social Media in Fueling Desperation
It is impossible to ignore the role social media plays in the current trend. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok often glamorize luxurious lifestyles, fancy cars, designer clothes, and exotic vacations. The narrative is simple: ‘success’ means wealth, and wealth is the ticket to respect and happiness.
For many young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, this pressure can become overwhelming. They see influencers flaunting riches and they begin to question why they are not living the same life. This results in a dangerous pursuit of shortcuts to wealth, some of which include criminal activities like fraud or even rituals. The get-rich-quick mindset is so pervasive that many youth would do anything — even commit murder — just to live a life they’ve seen online.
Unemployment and its Link to Crime
Unemployment is another major factor contributing to the rise of ritual killings. Nigeria’s economy has been struggling for years, and millions of its young citizens are unable to find meaningful employment. With few prospects and growing frustration, some turn to crime, particularly internet fraud, also known as Yahoo Yahoo. However, this fraudulent activity has evolved into a more dangerous trend called ‘Yahoo+’, where perpetrators use ritual sacrifices to ‘enhance’ their scams.
This situation is worsened by the lack of economic opportunities, which leaves many feeling trapped. When faced with an uncertain future, some young men and women become desperate, willing to do anything — including turning to rituals — to change their fortunes.
The Emergence of Pseudo-Prostitution and Hookups
Let me ask you a question, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear ‘Abuja babes’. We know the gist, we understand the stereotype and it is not just unique to the capital city, as hookup culture just like internet fraud has taken a stronghold on the mainstream culture of young Nigerians.
In this environment of despair, many young women have found themselves lured into what is termed ‘hookup’, a form of pseudo-prostitution. Here, young women engage in transactional sex, either willingly from greed and/or peer pressure or just plain out of necessity, to support themselves. Unfortunately, these activities often put them in dangerous situations, where they can fall victim to ritualists who see them as expendable objects for their rituals. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case most of the time these days.
Every time you go online there is a gory image of a young woman’s corpse discarded with several organs and body parts missing, followed by a write-up of how she told a friend she was going to visit a guy but was never heard from again. A particular story went viral a few weeks back where a young man who held two girls hostage tied up in two different hotels, waiting for the opportunity to kill them but was thankfully caught before he could. These are good stories where the victims are rescued or the perpetrator is caught. However, there are more cases that we would never hear of and lives we would never know are lost.
The sad reality is that young women, already vulnerable due to financial instability, become even easier targets in a society that values wealth above human life. This is how the narrative shifts from ‘just a hookup’ to a potentially fatal encounter.
The Growth of the Illegal Organ Trafficking Industry
Another chilling aspect of ritual killings is their connection to the illegal organ trade. Ritualists often harvest organs from their victims, which are then sold on the black market. With a global demand for human organs and a shortage of legal donors, this underground industry has grown rapidly. Some of the victims of ritual killings in Nigeria end up being sold for their organs, further driving the need for these violent acts.
The Impact on Nigeria’s Youth, Especially Young Women
The rise of ritual killings has had a devastating impact on Nigeria’s youth, especially young women. Many are now living in fear, afraid to go out alone or trust anyone. The psychological toll is immense, and the sense of security they once had has been shattered. Women, in particular, are at risk, as they are often viewed as more vulnerable and more easily manipulated or abducted by ritualists.
With the victim pool moving towards girls in committed relationships being killed by male partners they thought they could trust, and with the country’s economic trajectory being the way it is, we have to stop and ask ourselves, are young women in Nigeria truly becoming endangered species?
How Ritualists Operate: The Methods and Tactics
Ritualists often prey on unsuspecting victims through various means. They might pose as trusted individuals or use familiar settings to lure victims. Many women who fall victim to ritual killings were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in situations where they thought they were safe. Like cases dubbed ‘One chance’ where an unsuspecting passenger in a vehicle falls victim to the driver and his accomplices.
Commonly, ritualists use promises of jobs, love, or financial opportunities to deceive their victims. These tactics are often successful because the victims are already in desperate situations.
Government’s Role in Addressing Ritual Killings
While the Nigerian government has taken steps to combat ritual killings, there are significant gaps in enforcement. Existing laws are often poorly implemented, and many perpetrators go unpunished. The legal system’s inability to provide justice for victims and its propensity to bend the knee to the side with more money only emboldens ritualists to continue their crimes.
Stronger legal frameworks and more rigorous enforcement are crucial in curbing these killings. If the justice system fails to act, the crisis will only worsen.
The Role of Religious and Community Leaders
Religious and community leaders have a critical role to play in combating ritual killings. A deeper sense of morality and empathy is needed in our society today and this is how the religious and community leaders can help curb this issue. By educating their followers and communities, these leaders can promote positive values that reject the pursuit of wealth through harmful means. They also serve as influencers in their own right, capable of countering the destructive messages pushed by social media, not by preaching against it but by making genuine efforts to connect with the youth and utilizing it to counter the great bad with greater good.
Solutions to the Crisis
So, how do we stop this disturbing trend? How do we ensure that our young women grow old and our young men stay dignified? One solution lies in education and job creation. By empowering young people with skills and employment opportunities, we can reduce their vulnerability to crime and ritual killings. Similarly, the media must play a more significant role in raising awareness about the dangers of these practices and providing alternative narratives to the ‘get-rich-quick’ mindset. While we have online personalities exposing young people to the career and economic possibilities the internet offers, we need less focus on crypto fads and more structured intentional developmental programs and pipelines to long-term careers.
The Importance of Grassroots Movements
Local organizations and non-profits have already made strides in protecting vulnerable women and raising awareness about ritual killings. Shades of Us is dedicated to creating a society where every African can live a life of dignity, free from the pressures that lead to undignified means of survival. Through storytelling with projects like our Mobile Cinema project, we shine a light on the harsh realities many Africans face while promoting positive change. By tackling issues like ritual killings, gender-based violence, and economic exploitation, we aim to build a future where no one is forced into dangerous or dehumanizing practices. Shades of Us believes in a world where every African thrives, is empowered, and protected. These grassroots movements are crucial, as they work to offer education, support, and protection to those at risk. Community action is vital in addressing the root causes of this crisis and bringing about change.
The rise of ritual killings in Nigeria, especially the targeting of young women, is a tragic consequence of various socio-economic factors. From the influence of social media to the desperation caused by unemployment, these killings are a reflection of deeper societal issues. To protect the future of Nigeria’s youth, particularly its women, we must address these problems holistically — through education, legal reform, community involvement, robust enforcement of existing laws, and paying a little bit more attention to that tiny voice at the back of your mind telling you, killing people is bad.
The Rise of Ritual Killings in Nigeria
By Atinuke Adeosun
Young Women Are Becoming an Endangered Species
Ritual killings have been a longstanding issue in Nigeria, but in recent years, these gruesome practices have taken a terrifying turn. Young women, especially, are increasingly becoming targets, with reports of their abductions, murders, and use in ritualistic practices growing alarmingly. These heinous crimes are often driven by the desire for wealth, power, and success — notions that are now being amplified by various factors, including the influence of social media and the harsh economic realities young Nigerians face.
But why are young women the primary victims? What has led to the rise of these ritual killings, and how is it shaping a future where women are left vulnerable?
The Factors Behind the Rise of Ritual Killings
Ritual killings in Nigeria have deep cultural and societal roots. Historically, rituals involving human sacrifices have been practiced in various parts of the country, tied to beliefs in the supernatural, magic, and spiritual interventions. However, what was once rooted in tradition has now taken a dangerous twist with modern-day greed and desperation fueling the practice.
The Role of Social Media in Fueling Desperation
It is impossible to ignore the role social media plays in the current trend. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok often glamorize luxurious lifestyles, fancy cars, designer clothes, and exotic vacations. The narrative is simple: ‘success’ means wealth, and wealth is the ticket to respect and happiness.
For many young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, this pressure can become overwhelming. They see influencers flaunting riches and they begin to question why they are not living the same life. This results in a dangerous pursuit of shortcuts to wealth, some of which include criminal activities like fraud or even rituals. The get-rich-quick mindset is so pervasive that many youth would do anything — even commit murder — just to live a life they’ve seen online.
Unemployment and its Link to Crime
Unemployment is another major factor contributing to the rise of ritual killings. Nigeria’s economy has been struggling for years, and millions of its young citizens are unable to find meaningful employment. With few prospects and growing frustration, some turn to crime, particularly internet fraud, also known as Yahoo Yahoo. However, this fraudulent activity has evolved into a more dangerous trend called ‘Yahoo+’, where perpetrators use ritual sacrifices to ‘enhance’ their scams.
This situation is worsened by the lack of economic opportunities, which leaves many feeling trapped. When faced with an uncertain future, some young men and women become desperate, willing to do anything — including turning to rituals — to change their fortunes.
The Emergence of Pseudo-Prostitution and Hookups
Let me ask you a question, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear ‘Abuja babes’. We know the gist, we understand the stereotype and it is not just unique to the capital city, as hookup culture just like internet fraud has taken a stronghold on the mainstream culture of young Nigerians.
In this environment of despair, many young women have found themselves lured into what is termed ‘hookup’, a form of pseudo-prostitution. Here, young women engage in transactional sex, either willingly from greed and/or peer pressure or just plain out of necessity, to support themselves. Unfortunately, these activities often put them in dangerous situations, where they can fall victim to ritualists who see them as expendable objects for their rituals. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case most of the time these days.
Every time you go online there is a gory image of a young woman’s corpse discarded with several organs and body parts missing, followed by a write-up of how she told a friend she was going to visit a guy but was never heard from again. A particular story went viral a few weeks back where a young man who held two girls hostage tied up in two different hotels, waiting for the opportunity to kill them but was thankfully caught before he could. These are good stories where the victims are rescued or the perpetrator is caught. However, there are more cases that we would never hear of and lives we would never know are lost.
The sad reality is that young women, already vulnerable due to financial instability, become even easier targets in a society that values wealth above human life. This is how the narrative shifts from ‘just a hookup’ to a potentially fatal encounter.
The Growth of the Illegal Organ Trafficking Industry
Another chilling aspect of ritual killings is their connection to the illegal organ trade. Ritualists often harvest organs from their victims, which are then sold on the black market. With a global demand for human organs and a shortage of legal donors, this underground industry has grown rapidly. Some of the victims of ritual killings in Nigeria end up being sold for their organs, further driving the need for these violent acts.
The Impact on Nigeria’s Youth, Especially Young Women
The rise of ritual killings has had a devastating impact on Nigeria’s youth, especially young women. Many are now living in fear, afraid to go out alone or trust anyone. The psychological toll is immense, and the sense of security they once had has been shattered. Women, in particular, are at risk, as they are often viewed as more vulnerable and more easily manipulated or abducted by ritualists.
With the victim pool moving towards girls in committed relationships being killed by male partners they thought they could trust, and with the country’s economic trajectory being the way it is, we have to stop and ask ourselves, are young women in Nigeria truly becoming endangered species?
How Ritualists Operate: The Methods and Tactics
Ritualists often prey on unsuspecting victims through various means. They might pose as trusted individuals or use familiar settings to lure victims. Many women who fall victim to ritual killings were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in situations where they thought they were safe. Like cases dubbed ‘One chance’ where an unsuspecting passenger in a vehicle falls victim to the driver and his accomplices.
Commonly, ritualists use promises of jobs, love, or financial opportunities to deceive their victims. These tactics are often successful because the victims are already in desperate situations.
Government’s Role in Addressing Ritual Killings
While the Nigerian government has taken steps to combat ritual killings, there are significant gaps in enforcement. Existing laws are often poorly implemented, and many perpetrators go unpunished. The legal system’s inability to provide justice for victims and its propensity to bend the knee to the side with more money only emboldens ritualists to continue their crimes.
Stronger legal frameworks and more rigorous enforcement are crucial in curbing these killings. If the justice system fails to act, the crisis will only worsen.
The Role of Religious and Community Leaders
Religious and community leaders have a critical role to play in combating ritual killings. A deeper sense of morality and empathy is needed in our society today and this is how the religious and community leaders can help curb this issue. By educating their followers and communities, these leaders can promote positive values that reject the pursuit of wealth through harmful means. They also serve as influencers in their own right, capable of countering the destructive messages pushed by social media, not by preaching against it but by making genuine efforts to connect with the youth and utilizing it to counter the great bad with greater good.
Solutions to the Crisis
So, how do we stop this disturbing trend? How do we ensure that our young women grow old and our young men stay dignified? One solution lies in education and job creation. By empowering young people with skills and employment opportunities, we can reduce their vulnerability to crime and ritual killings. Similarly, the media must play a more significant role in raising awareness about the dangers of these practices and providing alternative narratives to the ‘get-rich-quick’ mindset. While we have online personalities exposing young people to the career and economic possibilities the internet offers, we need less focus on crypto fads and more structured intentional developmental programs and pipelines to long-term careers.
The Importance of Grassroots Movements
Local organizations and non-profits have already made strides in protecting vulnerable women and raising awareness about ritual killings. Shades of Us is dedicated to creating a society where every African can live a life of dignity, free from the pressures that lead to undignified means of survival. Through storytelling with projects like our Mobile Cinema project, we shine a light on the harsh realities many Africans face while promoting positive change. By tackling issues like ritual killings, gender-based violence, and economic exploitation, we aim to build a future where no one is forced into dangerous or dehumanizing practices. Shades of Us believes in a world where every African thrives, is empowered, and protected. These grassroots movements are crucial, as they work to offer education, support, and protection to those at risk. Community action is vital in addressing the root causes of this crisis and bringing about change.
The rise of ritual killings in Nigeria, especially the targeting of young women, is a tragic consequence of various socio-economic factors. From the influence of social media to the desperation caused by unemployment, these killings are a reflection of deeper societal issues. To protect the future of Nigeria’s youth, particularly its women, we must address these problems holistically — through education, legal reform, community involvement, robust enforcement of existing laws, and paying a little bit more attention to that tiny voice at the back of your mind telling you, killing people is bad.
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