UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSU DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES

TOPICS:

INCIDENCE OF RITUAL KILLINGS AND SECURITY IN

NIGERIA.

A TERM PAPER

PREPARED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT OF THE

COURSE: GS104

(SOCIAL SCIENCE)

BY

UGBOR, ESTHER NKIRUKA

20071146901

LECTURER: MRS. J. UGWU

JUNE, 2008.

TITLE PAGE

The incidence of Ritual Killings and Security in Nigeria.

DEDICATION

I dedicate this work to my baby cousin, Ebubechi and to my

dear friend Chukwuemeka.

PREFACE

Ritual Killing has done a lot of damages in our country

Nigeria. So many innocent citizens of this country have become

victims of this evil menace and the security agencies are not yet

equal to the task to fight against this evil practices.

The essences of this my write up is to expose this evil

practices as well ginger the security agencies to comb every where in

order to fish the evil ones indulging in this menace out.

The chapter one of this write up gives a close view and brief

introduction of it and its origin.

Chapter two and three shows the causes of Ritual Killing and

insufficient security in Nigeria and Negative effects of Ritual killings

and inadequate security in Nigeria.

Chapter four emphasized on the possible solutions to

incidence of Ritual Killings and Inadequate security in Nigeria,

which leads to the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I am indebted to God Almighty whose supply of grace upon

my life is infinite and to my parents for their unflinching support in

my life.

My gratitude also goes to my lecturer Mrs. Ugwu for bridging

the gap between literacy and illiteracy in my life.

A big thanks goes to my friends Onyinye, Chioma, Josephine

and Emeka and all who has been advising me positively I say remain

blessed in the lord.

Finally, I must not fail to say thank you to my wonderful

mentor, Ekene Okafor who has taught me to believe in my self and

stop procrastinating

TABLE OF CONTENT Title Page - - - - - - - - - 1 . Dedication - - - - - - - - - 11 . . Preface - - - - - - - - - 111

Acknowledgement - - - - - - - iv Table of Content - - - - - - - - v CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1.1 Definition of Terms - - - - - - 2 1.2 Origin of ritual and security in Nigeria - - - - 2 CHAPTER TWO: 2.0 Causes of Ritual Killing and Insufficient Security in Nigeria 5 2.1 Quest for Power and Fame -- - - - - 5 2.2 Traditional Belief System - - - - - - 6 2.3 Insatiable Desire for Wealth - - - - - 6 2.4 Inadequate Religion and Moral - - - - 7 2.5 Corruption - - - - - - - - 7 CHAPTER THREE: 3.0 Negative Effects of Ritual Killings and Inadequate Security in Nigeria - - - - - - - - - 9 3.1 Increase in Violence and Crime - - - - - 9 3.2 Population Decrease as a Result of Increase in Death Rate - 9 CHAPTER FOUR: 4.0 Possible Solutions to Incidences of Ritual Killings and Inadequate Security in Nigeria -- - - - - 11 4.1 Increase in Income and Wages of Officers - - - 11 4.2 Provision of Sufficient and Reliable Mass Communication and Materials - - -- - - - - - - 12 4.3 Enforcement of the Judiciary Laws Irrespective of Power and Position - - - - - - - - - 12 4.4. Religion and Moral Instruction Encouraged - - - 13 Summary Conclusion and Recommendation

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

In Nigeria, the incidence of crime (Ritual killings) and the

Nigerian security has left so much to be desired by Nigerians

and tourists. Its' hade dining rate is a major dog in the foot of

our nation.

Ritual violence is now the major talk of the day and the

Nigerian security, the police are not helping matter. Agbedo;

1999. Six human Skills where discovered and the native doctor

allegedly accused men of the underworld as co-perpetrators of

the crime in order to evade the law but nothing was done to put

the law and the security in order". Who will save the child

(Nigeria)? People who are the expected saviours turn their back

to indulge in bribery and corruption. The Nigerian security

should be improved, as no stones should be left unturned on the

pursuit of sec~rity of our Nigerian people.

1 . DEFINITION OF TERMS

Ritual, according to oxford learners dictionary refers to

series of actions that are always carried out in the same way,

especially as part of a religious ceremony.

Killing, as act of making somebody to die deliberately.

Security simply means safe, being free from danger and

anxiety. Incidence: this means the extent to which something

happens or has an effect.

1.2 ORIGIN OF RITUAL AND SECURITY IN NIGERIA

The custom of killing a divine king upon any serious

failure of his power is very common in Africa. It was practiced

by the Jukun of Nigeria. Primitive peoples often entertain

superstitions about meteors, and connect their occurrence with

certain events, such as a death.

In ancient Babylon the king's tenure of office seems to

have been limited to a single year, at end of which he was put to

3 death. The Banyoro of Uganda and Ibidio of Nigeria retain

traces of a similar custom.

SECURITY

The origin of security in Nigeria can be backdated as far

as when crime started. From simple theft, tapping to

sophisticated ones of the present day.

Urbanization cannot be over emphasized in this question

of origin of security in Nigeria". People now have to move from

the local rural areas to the cities which is mainly made up of rich

ones and since being unable to cope with the ways of the rich

resort to theft, murder, Ritual killing and the rest of it.

Modernization: Development and modernization has in its

own way brought crime which led to security in Nigeria.

Here people who use local weapons for their illicit

activities now has to adopt to the modernized and sophisticated

ones, people now steal using the computer and instead of the

locally made guns. The use of silencer has made killing a very

easy thing. This would not be removed form the origin of

security in Nigeria.

CHAPTER TWO

2. CAUSES OF RITUAL KILLING AND

INSUFFICIENT SECURITY IN NIGERIA

The urge to get rich has pushed many Nigerian's into this

evil menace and the police are not equal to the task to fight

against this menace due to so many reason, which includes that

they are ill-equipped, underpaid, corrupt, and also have

inadequate number of officers.

2.1 QUEST FOR POWER AND FAME

Literary quest means to search for something that is

difficult to find.

Power: the ability to control people or things.

Fame: The state of being known and talked about by many

people. Many Nigerian's that are selfish who cannot work hard

go about killing their fellow humans in order to be known by

many people even across the boarder which they resides.

2.2 TRADITIONAL BELIEF SYSTEM

Traditional belief system of so many Nigerians has gone a

long way contributing to the death of some humans who where

used for scarifies. Nwankwo 2000: Stated that "Ritual killings

are mainly perpetrated by what we call native doctors who have

been involved in this since time immemorial, mostly through

traditional occultic practices that has nothing to do with the

modern-day cults".

2.3 INSATIABLE DESIRE FOR WEALTH

The insatiable desire for more has lured many Nigerians

into partaking in this evil manace. Dampa 2004: On 24

November, a woman's body, mutilated apparently for ritual

proposes, was found on the Ivana-Ipaja Road in the lomu area of

Lagos. Several suspects were arrested and through the

confession they made it was discovered that these are reputable

7

men in Nigeria who swim in money but wanted more due to

their insatiable desire for wealth.

2.4 INADEQUATE RELIGION AND MORAL

INSTRUCTION

Inadequate Religion and moral instruction has a lot to do

with the cause of ritual killings. This is because most of the

people that partake in this evil menace are not religiously

inclined, they do not respect the fact that there is a supreme

being and that gave them the impetus to take away life when

they know fully well that they can't make a strand of hair.

2.5 CORRUPTION

Corruption as one of the causes of ritual killing and

inadequate security in Nigeria has eaten deep into the fibers of

Nigerians. This is to say that it is hard to see what they do with

uprightness, truth fullness and the rest of them. They only look

for a way to satisfl they selfish desire instead of maintaining the

rules and regulations of the country, Nigeria. Alemika 2005:

8 "The Nigerian police are generally ineffective and inefficient in

the areas of crime prevention, crowd and riot management,

detection and investigation of crime (Ritual Killing)". A case in

point was when a poor complainant reported his case with a

wealthy man who took away his land from him, to the police.

The officer in change did nothing but only let the case die

because he felt that taking out an investigation would be worth

the possible risks of angering the wealthy individual behind the

threats.

9 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF RITUAL KILLINGS AND

INADEQUATE SECURITY IN NIGERIA

Ritual killings and inadequate security in Nigeria has so

many negative effects and some of them will be discussed in

this chapter.

3.1 INCREASE IN VIOLENCE AND CRIME

This is one of the negative effects of ritual Killing and

inadequate security in Nigeria as it is concerned with death and

corruption. Abode 1999: "The Guardian has on several

occasions published stories alleging that incidence of

disappearances and extrajudical murders, including ritual

murders are on increase".

3.2 POPULATION DECREASE AS A RESULT OF

INCREASE IN DEATH RATE

Ritual' Killings has gone a long way reducing the

population of Nigerian's as a result of increase in date rate.

10 Jemibowon 2006. "Police discovered six human skulls and

several small armaments at the home of an alleged "native

doctor" leading to the supposition that the home might have

been used as sales outlet for human skills". On October, a

couple was kidnapped form a market and the woman killed and

decapitate for apparently ritual purposes. On 1 6 December1 999,

four men appeared in court on charges related to the death of a

man.

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO INCIDENCES OF

RITUAL KILLINGS AND INADEQUATE SECURITY IN

NIGERIA

Ritual killings and inadequate security is now a thorn in

our flash and a battle facing our country, Nigeria to fight

against. Therefore, the possible solutions to stop this evil

menace will to be discussed in this chapter.

4.1 INCREASE IN INCOME AND WAGES OF OFFICERS

Since it is known to us that this evil practices are been

done in order to acquire wealth, there is need for the

government to increase the income and wages of officers in

order to reduce ritual killing and bribery and corruption in

Nigeria.

4.2 PROVISION OF SUFFICIENT AND RELIABLE 12

MASS COMMUNICATION AND MATERIALS

For the security agents to be at alert their as need for

communicating media. Obikwe 2000. "At a meeting with

president Olusegun Obasanjo, high ranking police officers from

across the country told the president that the police suffer from

"inadequate, poor communications facilities and general low

morals'.

4.3 ENFORCEMENT OF THE JUDICIARY LAWS

IRRESPECTIVE OF POWER AND POSITION

In order to reduce or put to an end to ritual killings and

inadequate security in Nigeria there is need to enforce the

judiciary laws irrespective of power and position. Arnaoke,

2000. "At the swearing in of 12 new magistrates in Edo State,

the Chief Judge warned the new appointees that if they are

found to belong to a secret cult, or neglect any ritual act, they

would be disqualified from service".

13 4.4 RELIGION AND MORAL 'INSTRUCTION

ENCOURAGED

In order to put to an end to this evil menace there is need

to encourage Religion and teach morals to people so that within

them they will known that ritual killing is a sin and that bribery

and corruption emerges form it which brings about crime that

destroys our country, Nigeria. Once this is done I believe that

this menance will be eradicated.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

With this write up I strongly believe that this evil menace

will come to an abrupt end, because every body will be at alert

to wipe away Ritual Killing. Police should respect the right of

citizens and culture of impunity should no longer exist. The

police force itself should have several layers and branches that

citizens dissatisfied with investigation and action by one branch

could request and get cases transferred to other branches.

Also at the swearing in of 12 new magistrates in Edo

State, the Chief judge warned the new appointees that if they are

found to belong to a secret cult or participating in ritual killing

they will be disqualified form service.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abode, E. A,( 1999). "THE CONSEQUENCES OF RITUAL

KILLINGS". Awka, Meks Publishers.

Agbedo, O.J. (1999). "RITUAL KILLINGS IN NIGERIA'.' Onisha,

Lious Publication.

Ahanihu, E. I. (2000). "LOST IN THE ALLEY OF DEATH".

Enugu: Provicence Press (Nigeria) Ltd.

Alemika, M.K. (2005). "CORRUPTION A KILLER". Enugu, Abia

Books Ltd.

Amaoke, A.C. (2000). "POWER OF THE JUDICIARY". Ibadan,

Heineman Publication.

Nwankwo, B.L. (2000). "TRADITIONAL BELIEF IN NIGERIA".

Enugu, Delta Publication.

Ofonagoro, W.I. (1 979). "THE STORY OF NIGERIAN

SECURITY". Lagos Federal Ministry of Information.

Okafor, G.P. (2000). "NEED FOR SECURITY:' Enugu, Delta

Publication.

Timpa, P.N (2002). "NIGERIAN'S DESIRE FOR WEALTH',' Benin

City Ethiopia Publishers.