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By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
In recent times, the Nigerians media has been inundated with the stories of gruesome murders allegedly committed by young men in the name of ritual killing. The most recent was the arrest of four young boys whose ages range between 17 and 20. They were arrested for killing the girlfriend of one of the suspects for money making blood ritual. 
The suspects were identified as 18-year-old Soliu Majekodumi, 17-year-old Wariz Oladehinde, 19-year-old Abdul Gafar and 20-year-old Mustakeem Balogun. They were all arrested in Ogun State following information received at the Adatan Police Divisional Headquarters from the head of the community security guard, that the suspects were seen burning something suspected to be human head in a local pot.
On interrogation, the arrested suspects confessed that what they were burning in the local pot was the head of the girlfriend of Soliu. The girl, who was simply identified as Rofiat, was lured by her boyfriend Soliu to where she was murdered by four of them, after which they cut off her head, packed the remaining body in a sack, and dumped it in an old building.
According to Saturday Sun findings, majority of the suspects who were arrested claimed that they are fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo plus practitioners. They were allegedly sent by some spiritualists to kill and bring specific body parts in order to acquire wealth. Most of such killings were documented and shared on the social media and till date, majority of those who participated in such acts were yet to be arrested by security operatives.
In one of such videos that trended on social media, a group of youths were seen in a party mood in a room when suddenly the boys among them picked a knife and hacked about four ladies to death.
It could also be recalled that 2019 was the era of stealing underpants believe to be used for same purpose.
Saturday Sun sought the opinion of religious leaders, a psychologist and a native doctor on how to put an end to the ugly trend. Some young men who were once active members of cult groups also recounted their experiences and what they know about the new trend.
How we were rescued- Ex -yahoo boys
Just like other unfortunate teenagers, Nonso, a native of Imo State, who was born and brought up in Ogun State, claimed that he was at the verge of participating in a murder for blood money ritual before he was rescued by his mother. Now under the watchful eyes of his mother and relatives, Nonso, in a chat with Saturday Sun claimed that it was the scar on his back that saved him from participating in the ritual killing.
“My name is Nonso and I am 20 years, I was born and raised in Abeokuta, Ogun State and while I was in secondary school, I joined a group of senior students who were already masters in yahoo yahoo business. We made small money here and there. To protect our secrets, most of us were initiated into Eiye confraternity and took oath. On the day of initiation, I was battered and I had several marks on my back which turned into a permanent scar.
“Last year after our final exams, we decided to go further into the yahoo business. We were advised that the ones making so much money visited Babalawo, the native doctors. What we were told was that there was no need to kill, that all we needed to do was to drop money and the native doctor would provide all that was needed.
“Luckily for me a day before the agreed date that we wanted to visit the native doctor, my mother saw me bathing and noticed the scars. She screamed and called our relatives and neighbours to hold me. I had to confess and that was how I ended up in Lagos.
“I thank God that my mother dragged me to live with my uncle in Lagos because I would have ended up in prison. Our aim was to be the youngest millionaire while in the university. Two of the boys that were in our cult are dead while one is in prison. I heard that they were seen with human head and lynched by an angry mob,” he narrated.
His excited mother who permitted him to share his experience told Saturday Sun that Nonso was now living in the church with his uncle who is a pastor. “He is my only son and I thank God for bringing me into his room at that time. Parents should learn to bathe their teenagers. A lot is happening out there,” she said.
Another young man simply identified as Segun said he was rescued after the police arrested him for cultism. “I live in Ajah area of Lagos and I am a secondary school dropout. I used to be a cultist but I have decided to worship God since I was released from prison,” he said. “After my secondary school education in 2019, my parents made it clear that I had to learn a trade to survive and also further my education. I was sad because most of my friends were either preparing to enter the university or doing internet fraud. I decided that I must succeed and told one Emmanuel who normally played ball with us. He asked me to join them and I did. I was initiated into Eiye confraternity before they told me truth. I thank God that I was rescued before I went deeper into that life. We were arrested by the police during one of their raids.”
According to Segun, there are several types of rituals trending in the Lekki -Ajah axis. “We were told that those that are courageous and want to be extremely rich should do blood ritual. You don’t have to go the bush; some of these successful yahoo yahoo boys have shrines in their houses where sacrifices are performed. Others are sleeping with virgins which is common in this our area. They hunt for secondary school girls and when you are done, you will bring the tissue used to wipe her blood and you must sleep with her without condom.
“I am begging women, both young and old, to stay away from these rich boys. A lot is happening and I thank God that those policemen rescued me. Although I spent six months in jail, God used that opportunity to save me. I would have joined them because I was desperate. By God’s grace I will become a successful tailor in the entire world,” he smiled.
We do not kill living people -native doctor
Meanwhile, a native doctor based in Sango Ota, Ogun State and popularly known as Baba Lasisi told Saturday Sun through a phone interview that the recent killings especially in Ogun has made it difficult for traditional doctors to do their legitimate business.
“I don’t know what is happening. It is scary and I have warned my daughters to stay away from these boys. The rate at which these children are going, we are now targets of security operatives. Everyone is suspecting us these days but we are harmless native doctors that make use of regular ingredients to change the destinies of people. We provide solutions; we do not kill living people.
“If there is anything to slaughter it has to be animals that God gave us control over. Those boys who call themselves Yahoo Plus work in their own world. They operate in their own world and create their own gods and laws to justify what they are doing. I am not aware and it’s even scary to listen to a child talk about killing. Those days what we do is to take dried human skulls. If you go to the cemetery, those places that they do mass burial, they normally dig up skeletons to make way for new ones. This is where we buy those ingredients that you hear about. To save our profession, we are investigating and also enlightening people what our job is,” he told Saturday Sun.
Systemic failure -Psychologist
A psychologist and founder of Centre for Corrections and Human Development, Obioma Agoziem blamed the new trend on systemic failure.
Hear her: “It is a combination of causes. Just recently I read in a particular report on the global list of countries going through unemployment and Nigeria has risen to the second largest country. A lot of our youths are doing practically nothing. You have so many people in their prime doing nothing and then you see another group of young people that look so rich and doing well. Most of them are into occultism, which goes with killing and diabolical things. The sad part is that most of them commit these crimes and get away with it. Naturally the other group of jobless youths will be drawn to that lifestyle. The major cause is unemployment and get rich syndrome among the people. They don’t want to work hard again and wait on the line and when they begin to place demand on them to kill, some of them must do it because they have taken an oath.
“Another cause is drugs. Most of them are taking hard drugs and when they are high on drugs, they can do anything.
In Nigeria it’s becoming alarming because of systemic failure. Things are just gradually crumbling; no one is serious about arresting the situation. Law enforcement agencies cannot be trusted. Everyone does what they like and you find out that if it demands to kill and get rich why not. Systemic failure, unseriousness by government to address the matter, get rich quick syndrome and so many other factors. Until these issues are addressed, it’s sad to say that we should expect more of such stories.”
Pastor/Imams react
Some religious leaders who spoke with Saturday Sun argued that until the church and mosques learn to openly speak against ill-gotten wealth, such incidents will never cease.
Apostle Anslem Madubuko, General Overseer of Revival Assembly Church said at the moment, talking cannot help to stop the trend but prayers.
“It is nothing new, it’s just about Jesus Christ. Sin is spiritual. Sin is not what you can tackle with the intellect. Telling people to stop it is not good enough because those words don’t have the power to change anybody,” he emphasized. “When Jesus truly comes into your life, greed goes, theft goes and every other thing that is wrong goes. What people need is God in their lives. So, true repentance is what we need at this time to change the hearts of people from wickedness.
“Absence of God in man is what makes man behave like a goat. People are filled with the spirit of evil. Satan has access in the heart of men than God. We need to pray more for people to be saved, covenant with the devil to be broken. If it is not broken, they will keep killing and destroying lives. Satan can use anybody to do it once you can make yourself available. The society brings it in but only God can help us. The society is bad. that is why it is happening but all I am saying is that society cannot help us. Lectures cannot help us, calling youths together and telling them please stop doing cult activities, they will just look at you and go back. The problem is spiritual and until they yield and allow Jesus into their lives nothing can change. It calls for more prayers from those of us who know what is going on to arrest the spirit behind these things. If not, they will keep killing, we will be prayerful and trusting God to keep us safe.”
Also, Pastor Eragbai of Divine Appointment Ministry told Saturday Sun that it is only the fear of God that can restore sanity in the country. “The society has failed us. They don’t care how money is made. All they want is free gifts from children that it is obvious that they do not have a stable source of living. These children are under pressure to succeed and impress the society.
“Secondly the rate at which some politicians dump money on the laps of children are alarming. They control large sums of money and the children now believe money should flow like that. These politicians just create secret societies and to control these children, they will force them into taking blood oaths. I live in Ajah and this display of questionable wealth is alarming over here. Young boys buy exotic cars in December and sell them in January.
“Parents should please call their children to order. You will see a boy below 12 using an expensive iPhone and such was given to them by parents. If such a parent fails to continue on the path, the child will definitely want to maintain that standard.
“The rate at which things are going the only solution is to embrace Christ. People should learn to fear God. I have warned members of my church not to bring Yahoo Yahoo money to church,” he warned.
On his part, Pastor Ndubuisi Okezie, founder of Victory Corner Evangelical Ministry blamed the church for failing to tell the truth to its members. “The growing rate of teenage killing goes outright against God’s will for mankind. It is especially a serious challenge to the body of Christ, the church, whose primary purpose is to guide the lost back into the light while she ensures they stay in it through daily admonishment.
“Sadly, majority of the arrested suspects come from Christian families. This evil justifies the increasing global call for revival in the Church.
“There was a time when The Truth, Prayer and Holiness were together the objective of the Church. Today there are many doctrines floated by churches of all kinds where crowd retention is a vision than true soul winning. All efforts are rather geared towards keeping the crowd. Those members are given the environment to express themselves as they would outside the Church. This must not continue. The God-fearing remnants must speak out against this rot. When one part of the body is sick it affects the rest. However, there is no sickness that cannot be healed. There is no error that cannot be corrected. This can only be possible when the truth is spoken out anywhere anytime, and Holiness projected without apology,” he stated.
A Muslim cleric in Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Alhaji Mohammed Adeleke blamed parents and the society whom he claimed no longer insist on ensuring that their children are practical believers. “I blame the community because we the religious leaders are doing our best by passing the message of repentance across. Most of these young men no longer come to the mosque and their parents do not care that they don’t come. Why should your son return home with an unexplained wealth and you come to the mosque to give an offering? Parents brag and instead of the community to investigate and banish such family, they will hail them and use them as a reference point.
“It is disheartening and I keep praying to Allah to save our children from this crazy quest for money. It’s time government declared public execution of these suspects. This will help the others to learn a lesson,” he stated.
