Oluwo of Iwoland, HIM Oba (Dr.) Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has challenged the Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria for their negligence in tackling incessant ritual killings in the West, claiming ritualism is deadlier than kidnapping in the zone.

The monarch lamented daily loss of innocent individuals to ritualists, urging federal government to dissipate equal concentration to ritual killings as done to kidnapping and Boko Haram fighting.

Oluwo disclosed this yesterday while hosting the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Abdulmajid Ali, in his palace, as further reiterated in a press statement by the monarch’s press secretary, Alli Ibraheem.

Oluwo declared an open traditional war will be staged against ritual killers if the Federal Government fails to address his outcry and curtail the menace.

The monarch condemned the ritual killings menace as uncultured, barbaric, callousness, ungodly, inhuman and an affront on right to life, stating the refusal to declare war and criminalise such act by the Federal Government is worrisome to his stool.

He said ritual killings should be vehemently fought more than the war against Boko Haram and kidnapping, called for urgent enactment of fatal penalty for perpetrators of ritual killings.

Oluwo further discredited the claim by some traditionalists relating ritual killings with culture as desecration of tradition itself, saying no culture accepts humans as sacrifice.

The statement reads: “It saddens no attention is paid to ritual killings by the Federal Government. Thousands fall victim to ritual on a daily basis but regrettably, no one condemns such. I’m not happy with the neglect of my outcry on daily killings of my sons and daughters by ritualists. These people are deadlier than Boko Haram and kidnappers.

“I’m appealing to Federal Government to declare war against ritual killings. Strict penalty like death should be meted on any one culpable. Killers should be killed. Killing is not a forgivable offence. If the FG refuses, I will declare an open traditional war against ritualists.

“The Afenifere, OPC, Agbekoya and other pan-Yoruba cultural groups should join the revolution against ritual killings. Many gave gone to the journey of no return in the hands of ritual killers. It is pathetic, sad and calls for urgent legislation. Ritual killing is decimating our population daily. Must we continue watching the menace? Those in the government are not seeing what we see. Ritual murders are prevalent on the South-West, South-East. We must rise before it claims all our promising sons and daughters.

“I want to state it clearly here that killing humans for rituals is not Yoruba culture. It is alien to our culture. Yoruba culture is pure, clean and attractive. Look at my dress; it is enticing, fascinating, ostentatious and attractive. Only the ignorant and enemies of Yoruba culture will relate ritual killings to Yoruba culture.

“Bible, Quran and traditionalists should not justify offering humans for rituals. Clean religious clerics and traditionalists should join my preaching,” the monarch said.

Oluwo appealed to Nigerian citizens to exercise fear of God in their conducts. (Vanguard)

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