‘Nollywood Not Helping Matters’ – Witches Speak On Blood Money, Ritual Killings

A group, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) has observed that irrational conceptions of how to make money or become wealthy and successful in life have led many Nigerians to use human beings for rituals.

Noting that ritual attacks are widespread in Nigeria, the group therefore called on the Nigerian public to stop ritual attacks and killings because the notion of ritual money and wealth is completely baseless.

Naija News reports that AfAW’s intervention is informed by the reported arrest of suspected ritualists in Oyo State in southern Nigeria. Blood money is known in some local languages as Ogun Owo (Yoruba) or Ogwu ego (Igbo).

Members of the Western Nigeria Security Network, better known as Amotekun, had arrested suspected ritualists with the body parts of a 73-year-old man.

The suspects, who were apprehended in the Boluwaji area in Ibadan, said that a Muslim cleric asked them to procure some human body parts for rituals.

AfAW, in a statement issued at the weekend by its director, Leo Igwe, stated that many Nigerians strongly believe in blood money, and think that they could become rich, or successful through ritual sacrifice.

While recalling that some youth were recently arrested for stealing female pants for ritual sacrifice, AfAW urged all Nigerians to desist from ritual-related abuses because ritual money beliefs are baseless superstitions.

The statement reads, “Unfortunately, this is not the case. Ritual wealth has no basis in reason, science, or reality. Home movies known as Africa magic or Nollywood films have not helped matters.

“These movies continue to reinforce these mistaken notions and other superstitions. Families, churches, mosques, and other public institutions do not encourage the interrogation of these traditional occult beliefs.

“There are no robust efforts to criticize or dispel these irrational and paranormal claims in schools, colleges, and universities. So millions of Nigerians grow up blindly believing that they could make money through ritual sacrifice of human body parts.

“The belief has led many Nigerians to commit crimes and perpetrate atrocities. Many Nigerians have been jailed or are undergoing court trials due to ritual-related attacks and murder.”

AfAW ended by tasking Nigerian media, schools, and colleges to help educate and re-orient Nigerians out of this “killer-superstitious absurdity and nonsense“.