Two weeks ago, the police in Lagos confirmed the arrest of a middle-aged man found in possession of a fresh woman’s head and two hands at Muwo, Badagry. That was just one of the numerous cases of ritual killings reported in recent time.
Recently, residents of Delta State expressed worry over the upsurge in ritual murders in parts of state, saying efforts made by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and well-meaning people of the state to reduce the scourge are not yielding result. The residents claim that the ritualists, who use flashy cars, particularly black coloured SUVs, are increasing daily in the state.
The increase in cases of ritual killings reported in the media has become a source of concern to God fearing citizens of the nation. Many people are of the opinion that just a few of these cases are reported as only few of these ritualists are caught in the act by the security agents and citizens alike.
Sunday Telegraph’s investigation, however, reveals the open secret that some native doctors demand human organs from their clients as part of the ingredients they need to concoct potent charms for them.
In the course of this investigation into the world charms and black magic, correspondents found out that respected people in the society, politicians, some members of the clergy, businessmen and members of secret societies are neck deep in this dark age practice that has survived modernity, as they are the major clients of these native doctors.
Of particular worry is the revelation that some evil-minded, ambitious youths, who are not ready to do legitimate jobs and rise through the ranks, also seek black magic and are ready to provide human parts for charm for instant wealth and power.
Political power, sudden wealth, longevity
Warri-based Pa Onoweseme warns people to desist from ritual killings. He said that people who are seeking for power and or instant wealth use human parts to make charms. He added that in most cases, they are politicians seeking political power, especially those contesting for elections as well as those who want to get money for campaign, power and protection.
“You see, when there is election, you notice that a lot of people are kidnapped for rituals by politicians to fortify their campaign strategy, to protect them from being killed or maimed by political opponents and of course, they need much money for campaigns.
“Apart from politicians, there are a lot of jobless youths out there trying to meet up with the kind of flamboyant life they are living while some are into the killer game just to acquire wealth,” he said.
Chief Adebayo Ifabiyi from Kwara State concurred with Pa Onoweseme on why the scourge is rising, saying, however, that it is not really the herbalists that actually use the human parts. Ifabiyi, who stressed that he’s not into such practice, said: “It is the people who want something from the herbalists that are told to go and get those parts.
“People use human parts to get power, some use it for their churches or mosques to draw crowd and do miracles, and some use it to draw customers for their businesses.
"Politicians also use human parts a lot and that is why the cases of missing people are common during election campaign periods. Some people use it to attract popularity; some use it to exchange the destiny of others who are more popular than themselves. Some use it to elongate their life-span and in the olden days, some communities use it to preserve themselves from attacks.”
Also, a native doctor in Bauchi State, who pleaded anonymity, also stressed that some evil native doctors in the society do use human parts for making ‘artificial powers’ for people seeking political office, for making money and sometimes for self-protection. The native doctor, who warned against human sacrifice, said it is demons that direct those who want instant wealth and powers.
He said that not all the clients get their heart desires despite meeting blood-curdling conditions. Elsewhere in Imo State, Chief Thaddeus Agubosim, a native doctor popularly known as Oputaobie of Amiyi, warned against human rituals. He pointed accusing finger at politicians, businessmen and pastors as the main people that go to native doctors for fetish rituals with human parts for protection, more power and money.
“Most of the people that would take human parts to a native doctor are either politicians or businessmen. I can give an instance. A few years ago, a child was abducted in Onitsha from its mother by some boys and the family searched for him in several places without success.
"When they came here, after divination, I told them where they would find the child. And when they got there with some policemen, they saw that the child was being used to help a young man who wanted to be a Senator. Some pastors also get involved in this kind of mess, but, it’s largely politicians that patronise this kind of practice.”
Those used for ritual
The Bauchi-based native doctor said the demons do not accept prayerful people who are immensely workerholics. One of the ways to avoid ritual killers, he said, is for everybody to be at alert at all times and expose suspects by reporting them to law enforcement agents. Besides, one should avoid being alone on expressways and lonely paths because riualists are always armed with dangerous weapons.
People should also avoid, accepting lift from strangers and even people they don’t trust and stop going out at night, if it’s not necessary. However, Warri-based Onoweseme said there are two sets of people that cannot be used for such rituals.
“Those who have strong spirits or those who acquire protection through their own spiritual undertakings. But people with hunch backs are actually favourites for money ritualists and that is why we often warn such peopwle not to walk alone during the day but more especially during the night,” he explained.
Mr. Jumbo Okei, alias ‘Sharp-Sharp’ living in Sapele, described those at greater risk as pregnant women, albinos, those with hunch backs, young girls and even the aged. He warned that pregnant women are ‘hot cake’ to ritualists because they use the unborn child, and the mother.
In fact, they regard it as ‘double blessing’. Also at greater risk are albinos and hunch backs called ‘Amuke’ in Itsekiri language. “Even young girls are also at risk because the ritualists do cut-off their tongue, breast, private parts, as well as boys and the aged are not spared. These days, almost everybody is at greater risk because the dare-devil ritualists must discover one or two things from a human being.
"It is obvious that not even the government and security agencies can not stop the ritualists,” Okei said. Okei urged people to take precaution so they would not fall into the hands of evil men and women.
On those at greater risk, Agubosim said: “There is no age limit to those who could be used for rituals and there is no age bracket for immunity from being used for rituals. This is because some people need only the heart, kidney, penis, breast, eyes or tongue or even the entire person as the case may be.”
Clergymen are safe
Warri-based Ogheneovo said that clergymen are difficult to use because of the divine power they possess, while women under menstruation are forbidden because they could spoil their ‘medicine’. He also said that mad people are not useful to those who engage in ritual killings because they will not yield the needed result.
According to him, twins cannot be used because the power behind them is too strong. Also, physically challenged people cannot be used for ritual purposes.
Imbeciles, he said, are also untouchable because of their foolish attitude stressed Ogheneovo. To avoid being used for rituals, Agubosim urged parents to rise up to their responsibilities and groom their children and wards in the right ways.
Be led by the Holy Spirit
However, the General Overseer of Wordbase Assembly, Bishop Humphrey Erumaka, said what all Christians must do to avoid falling into the hand of the ritualists is to allow themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. “The Bible says that as many as are led by the spirit are the sons of God.
“When you have a check in your spirit not to go anywhere, be part of any travelling or taking any pathway or whatever, you obey the Holy Spirit. Then, also generally keep yourself abreast of security matters.
"For instance, don’t be quick to board a vehicle except from the park; don’t accept lift, don’t assume that everybody that invites you is a police man, you can call a senior officer to verify and these are no more time Christians should be aloof of government agencies,” he said.
‘Sale of human parts for money ritual is a fraud’
In the course of digging into this subject matter, Sunday Telegraph stumbled on a Trado Medical Exhibition in Onitsha, Anambra State, and had a field day with the practitioners. Farouk Olawale Mutiu, a.k.a. Papa Na Mama Ejima, Chairman of the Trado Medicinal Exhibition, who hails from Ijebu Ife in Ijebu East Local Government of Ogun State, told Sunday Telegraph that he has practiced traditional medicine for at least 25 years.
According to him, traditional medicine practice, like every other profession, is divided into many parts -Trado Medical Practitioners, Spiritualists, as well as Soothsayers.
He said: “There are differences between Trado Medical Practitioners and the Spiritualist or Soothsayers. As for me, the selling of human parts to make money or whatever purpose is a fraud.
"In my 25 years of practice, I have never seen such and in the area where I was brought up, it was not the practice. Traditional practitioners, just like doctors are trained to save lives and not to kill. I don’t believe that people can use human parts to make money, achieve greatness, because it is human beings that use them."
On his part, (Dr.) Ndubisi Ojukwu, a native of Isiala Mbano in Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State and the Consultant, ND Medical Botanic Centre, Kaduna, said it is not the traditional practice to kill and sell parts by their forefathers whom they inherited the practice from.
The practice is to save lives. “Any person who claims he can use somebody’s head, penis, leg, hand or heart to make someone rich, famous or get political position, is he himself rich? What is he in the society? It is all 419."
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