Warning: the article presented below contains graphic details of torture and murder that some readers may find distressing.
The main thrust of the article presented below was already the focus of an 2014 article which I posted in 2019, Children accused of witchcraft: abuse cases on the rise in UK. More than ten year after the publication of the first-mentioned article there is reason to again draw attention to this terrifying phenomenon. It is difficult to imagine that in our immediate environment children are abused, tortured, and sometimes killed because of the belief in witchcraft of the adult perpetrators, sometimes close relatives.
It all began with the discovery of the mutilated torso of a young boy floating in the river Thames, in 2001. The police gave him the name ‘Adam’ and under this name the poor victim became known worldwide. I have covered in much detail the horrific and sickening discovery and the harrowing story behind it. See my posts entitled The unsolved case of the torso in the Thames, Part I (dated March 25, 2019), Part II (March 27, 2019) and Part III (March 28, 2019).
Unfortunately, the case of ‘Adam’ does not stand alone as the article below amply demonstrates.
We must all be vigilant in identifying signs of child abuse and other crimes promptly and bringing them to the immediate attention of the authorities and relevant agencies. Vulnerable individuals in our society, such as young children, deserve a normal, loving life, free from threats and pain. (webmaster FVDK)
The disturbing evidence that witchcraft is spreading across Britain unchecked… 30 years after discovery of horrific voodoo-style murder should have ended it for good
Published: February 26, 2026 By: Aidan Radnedge and Nick Pyke, The Daily Mail
A quarter of a century has passed since the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie and the shocking realisation that voodoo-style murder and abuse were taking hold in the capital of a modern, affluent democracy.
Victoria met a horrific end. Tortured, beaten with implements including coat hangers and a bike chain, deliberately scalded and forced to sleep in a bin liner in a freezing bathroom, she finally died of multiple organ failure at the age of eight. Her tiny body, weighing just 3st 10lb, was marked by 128 separate injuries.
Her ‘crime’? The girl was said by relatives to have been possessed by ‘kindoki’, or evil spirits, requiring exorcism by a pastor and justifying a campaign of sadistic violence.
The killing in 2000 and the public enquiry that followed should have been seismic: a warning to the public and politicians that, however improbable, belief in witchcraft was emerging as a fact of life in Britain.
Yet today, despite the horror of Victoria’s death and subsequent cases, there is disturbing evidence that ritual violence – involving beliefs and practices overwhelmingly imported from abroad – is continuing to spread unchecked.
The latest official figures show a huge increase in the number of children identified as potential victims of abuse ‘linked to faith or belief’, a category including claims of witchcraft and spirit possession.
Analysis released late last year by the Local Government Association, representing councils and their social services departments in England, found there had been 2,180 cases of possible faith-linked abuse in 2024, a disturbing 49 per cent increase in the seven years since 2017.
Moreover, the true scale of the problem could be significantly worse amid fears that ritual abuse is routinely under-reported because social workers and others wish to avoid being labelled racist.
Among the most notorious cases was eight-year-old Victoria Climbié, tortured to death in 2000 by relatives who believed she was possessed
With motives ranging from ignorance and fear to the demented belief that human sacrifice confers supernatural protection, and even wealth, the cases that do reach the public eye are harrowing, the majority with links to sub-Saharan Africa.
A recent documentary film, Kindoki Witch Boy, tells the story of Mardoche Yembi, who had been sent from the Democratic Republic of Congo to live with his aunt and uncle in North London.
At the age of 12, Mardoche was branded a witch by relatives, accused of bringing bad luck and subjected to two months of traumatic exorcisms. The film is now available on YouTube.
An even more disturbing case took place on Christmas Day in 2010, when 15-year-old Kristy Bamu was beaten and drowned by his sister and her boyfriend in the London borough of Newham after being accused of ‘kindoki’, like Victoria Climbie.
Kristy endured four days of torture with knives, sticks, metal bars, a hammer and pliers. He drowned after being forced into a bath for ritual cleansing. Kristy’s siblings were also beaten but survived because they ‘confessed’ to being witches.
Magalie Bamu, then 29, and her partner Eric Bikubi, 28 – both Congolese – were jailed for life in 2012.
In sentencing them, the judge said: ‘The belief in witchcraft, however genuine, cannot excuse an assault to another person, let alone the killing of another human being.’
There are accusations of ‘possession’ in other cultures, too, with cases of abuse reported in Christian, Hindu and Muslim families, where some still believe in the idea of evil spirits known as ‘djinns’.
Just days before Kristy’s Bamu’s murder, Shayma Ali strangled then disembowelled her four-year-old daughter with a kitchen knife during a frenzied attempt to exorcise the girl.
Ali, who had gouged out the eyes of her daughter’s dolls to prevent them ‘seeing evil’, was sent to a mental hospital.
In 2005, two women were jailed at the Old Bailey after being convicted of child cruelty for torturing and threatening to kill an orphaned child refugee from Angola whom they claimed was a witch.
The Old Bailey was told that the girl, known only as Child B, was starved, cut with a knife, beaten with a belt and a shoe and had chilli peppers rubbed in her eyes to drive ‘the devil out of her’.
At one point, the eight-year-old was bundled into a zip-up laundry bag and told she would be ‘thrown away’ into a river. She was rescued after being found in her bare feet, shivering, outside a council house in Hackney.
His head, arms and legs had been removed in what detectives believe was a ritual killing, potentially as a sacrifice or in a ‘muti’ ceremony, in which body parts are taken in the belief they produce potent magical remedies.
The boy, aged between four and seven and found wearing only a pair of orange shorts, had recently arrived from Nigeria.
Britain’s leading rituals expert, Dr Richard Hoskins, brought into advise on the case, concluded that Adam was a victim of human sacrifice.
Victoria Climbié had been sent to England by her parents who hoped she would gain a better education than in her native Ivory CoastVictoria’s parents set up the Victoria Climbié Foundation following her death, campaigning for improvements to child protection in the UK
His 2012 book on the subject, The Boy in the River was serialised in The Mail on Sunday and is now scheduled to be dramatised as a feature film.
Dr Hoskins concluded that the boy had been trafficked to London, speculating that he was butchered while drugged but conscious by a ‘babalawo’ witchdoctor using rituals from the Yoruba people Osagiede of south-west Nigeria.
In Yoruban religion, wrote Dr Hoskins, ‘deities forming a bridge between this world and higher realms require sacrifice.
‘Not necessarily human sacrifice, of course, and especially not nowadays, but the practice persists in some deviant offshoots.’
In 2002, a Nigerian woman called Joyce Osagiede told Glasgow social workers that she had married a member of a cult called The Black Coat Eyes Of The Devil Guru Maharaj.
When later interviewed by British police in Lagos, she said she had been a cult organiser and had bought a pair of orange-red shorts similar to those found on Adam. She added: ‘I know he was killed in Lewisham.’
Osagiede later claimed to an ITV journalist that she had brought Adam to London and that his real name was Ikpomwosa. No one has ever been charged with his murder.
Yet it is the fate of Victoria Climbié that today remains the most notorious case of witchcraft abuse and killing in this country.
Victoria had been sent to England by her parents to gain a better education than in her native Ivory Coast but found only misery and death.
Victoria Climbié was starved, tortured, beaten with bike chains and kept prisoner in a freezing bathroom by her great-aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her partner Carl Manning (pictured)Marie-Therese Kouao (left), Victoria Climbié’s great-aunt, was complicit in her murder
Her great-aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her partner Carl Manning were jailed for life in 2001, convicted of murder and child cruelty.
The case was followed by a major public enquiry under Lord Laming which, in turn led to an overhaul of child protection measures in the UK, including the landmark 2004 Children Act.
Even now, ritual violence receives all-too-little attention, says Lancaster University’s Professor Charlotte Baker, who is co-director of the International Network Against Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks.
‘If you spoke to many people about this issue, they’d think it was something from about 1,400 years ago,’ she told The Daily Mail last week.
‘Many schoolteachers might feel they shouldn’t ‘go there’, if they suspect something is taking place because they’re not comfortable handling such issues.
‘This needs to be treated seriously, disclosures need to be treated seriously – and the right questions need to be asked.
‘The UK must improve and make sure that anyone who does speak up to make disclosures about this abuse being carried out are taken seriously and responded to professionally.’
Former Conservative MP Tim Loughton, children’s minister in David Cameron’s coalition government and later chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, had his own experience of trying to combat ritual abuse.
Victoria’s parents Berthe and Francis are pictured at her grave in Kensal Rise Crematorium in London, along with daughter Joelle, in 2003 on the third anniversary of Victoria’s deathA boy named Adam’s head, arms and legs were removed in what detectives believe was a ritual ‘muti’ killing – his torso was discovered in the River Thames near Tower Bridge in 2001
‘The particular problem [at the time] was among communities of migrants from places such as the Congo, which were very closed communities, mostly but not exclusively in London, with very evangelical Christian church settings,’ he recalls.
‘There were very strange practices, all connected with voodoo – abusing children in attempts to drive the devil out of them and all this sort of nonsense.’
During his time in office, he launched a task force on faith-based child abuse, but he fears that official attention has now slipped.
Rohma Ullah, director of the National FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) Centre – which also tackles what it refers to as witchcraft and spirit possession abuse – is among those who believe frontline staff are wary of raising the alarm.
‘Witchcraft and spirit possession are among the most poorly understood areas in child protection,’ she says. ‘That’s really concerning and alarming. We know the data is not good enough and that professionals don’t know how to act. They don’t know what to do.
‘Professionals are anxious about discussing someone’s faith or beliefs because it’s very personal.
‘They fear being accused of being racist, for example – and so questions don’t get asked and opportunities get missed.’
She says that teachers as well as social workers should be alert to signs of abuse – such as, for example, a child appearing tired through having to pray all night to be rid of a devil inside them, or losing weight because food is being withheld at home.
15-year-old Kristy Bamu was beaten and drowned on Christmas Day 2010 by his sister and her boyfriend in east London after being accused of being a witchFollowing the murder, Magalie Bamu (left) and Eric Bikubi (right) were jailed for life
‘I would say the situation is fragmented,’ she continues. ‘Social workers are skilled in safeguarding, teachers are skilled in educating, police officers are skilling in preventing and addressing crime – but they also need to be equipped with specialist knowledge on this particular issue.’
Ms Ullah suggests the current figures, disturbing as they are, ‘probably don’t reflect the true prevalence of something that’s very hidden.’
She believes allegations of witchcraft and spirit possession receive too little attention when abusers to court and suggests they should be flagged as aggravating features when the perpetrators are sentenced.
And witchcraft has now been included for the first time in new toughened-up Crown Prosecution Guidance, published today in a bid to tackle ‘honour’-based abuse, forced marriage and other abuses.
Newly included in guidance for prosecutors are practices such as dowry abuse, immigration-related exploitation, transnational marriage abandonment and spiritual or ritualistic abuse linked to beliefs in witchcraft, spirit possession or demonic influence.
While there is no standalone withcraft-related offence, the Home Office said: ‘Prosecutors must treat these cases as serious criminality within the wider context of harmful practices and “honour”-based abuse, assessing which offences may apply on a case-by-case basis.’
Baljit Ubhey, CPS director of policy, said: ‘Our updated guidance equips prosecutors to identify emerging patterns of abuse, understand the wider context in which it occurs, and take swift, effective action to safeguard victims and bring perpetrators to justice.’
It is not as if we haven’t been warned. It is more than a decade since the United Nations reported: ‘Hundreds of children have been abducted from their families in Africa and trafficked to the UK, especially London. Many are raped and sexually abused.’
Commenting in The Mail on Sunday at the time, Dr Hoskins went further, arguing that ‘London has become the hub, the epicentre for a global trafficking enterprise involving thousands of children for exploitation, sexual abuse and even, in some unspeakable cases, ritual voodoo killing…’
‘There is a vast reservoir of lost children gathering in our own capital anonymously shuffled from flat to shabby flat – a dark pool feeding child exploitation and misery across the planet.’
Today’s evidence suggests that, chillingly, this terrible picture might now be darker still.
Sanwo-Olu, others seek continental battle against human trafficking, ritual killings
Published: October 28, 2025 By: Adebisi Onanuga – The Nation Online, Nigeria
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State yesterday urged African leaders to form a united continental front against human trafficking and ritual killings.
He described human trafficking and ritual killings as “heinous crimes that strip victims of their dignity and humanity.”
The governor spoke through the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, at the First Annual Africa Colloquium Against Human Trafficking.
The colloquium was convened by the state’s Ministry of Justice and held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the fight against ritual abuse and human trafficking must transcend borders, institutions, and communities if Africa must reclaim its moral integrity.
“Human trafficking is not an abstract problem — it is real and close to home.
“It affects millions across Africa, especially women and children, through forced labour, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and ritual abuse. Behind every statistic is a name, a face, and a story of pain that we must never ignore.”
The governor described the colloquium, themed ‘A United Front Against Ritual Abuse and Sacrifice’, as a “continental rallying point for Africa’s moral awakening,” stressing that collaboration among governments, NGOs, law enforcement, and communities is key to dismantling trafficking networks.
According to him, “The words ‘A United Front’ remind us that this evil knows no boundaries. It can only be defeated through shared action, intelligence, and compassion.
He condemned the myths and superstitions fuelling ritual killings, describing them as “barbaric relics that have no place in a modern, progressive Africa.”
“Governments must work with civil society, religious and traditional leaders, and even the private sector to expose traffickers and protect victims”, he said
Sanwo-Olu emphasized that public enlightenment remains crucial in breaking the chain of silence that sustains human trafficking and ritual practices.
“We must educate our communities about the signs of trafficking and empower them to report suspicious activities.
“We must also strengthen our laws to ensure offenders are swiftly prosecuted while victims receive proper care and rehabilitation.”
The Governor noted that the Lagos State Task Force Against Human Trafficking, in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and international organisations, has intensified prosecution, public education, and survivor rehabilitation.
“But the government alone cannot win this fight. It demands a coalition of justice ministries, law enforcement, community leaders, and faith-based organisations.”
“We must defeat these dangerous myths that equate human life with power, success, or protection.
“Our progress must be built on knowledge, empathy, and faith in lawful advancement — not blood”, he said.
“Let this colloquium mark the day we moved from words to work.
“Together, as one united front, we will protect our people, punish the perpetrators, and restore dignity to those harmed”, he said.
“This is our moment to declare that our people are not for sale, our children are not sacrifices, and our future will never be built on fear or blood,” he said.
The Governor affirmed Lagos State’s commitment to lead Africa’s regional campaign against human trafficking and ritual abuse.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in his address at the colloquium reaffirmed federal government’s commitment to intensifying the fight against human trafficking, ritual exploitation, and migrant smuggling across Africa describing them as “crimes that diminish humanity and betray the principles of human rights.”
The AGF who was represented by Team Lead for Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (TIPSOM) at the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Ezinne Nwokoro, said the government is determined to dismantle trafficking networks through coordinated legal, diplomatic, and community-based responses.
Mrs Nwokoro said the Attorney-General of the Federation has prioritized anti-trafficking reform through a combination of legislative review, enhanced partnership with NAPTIP, and expanded international cooperation frameworks.
“These reforms are building systems that not only punish offenders but prevent trafficking before it begins,” she said.
“We are creating a future where justice is accessible, survivors are supported, and the vulnerable are no longer prey.”
She declared the federal government’s full support for the outcomes of the colloquium and urged all participants to move from dialogue to action.
“This is not just another event,” she said, adding ,“it is a call to conscience — a gathering of people working, in different ways, to confront the painful reality of human trafficking, ritual abuse, and human sacrifice in Africa.”
According to her, ritual-linked trafficking represents an even darker evolution of the crime. “Traffickers no longer just exploit poverty and desperation — they exploit belief systems and cultural fears.
“Victims are often made to take oaths or undergo rituals designed to enslave them psychologically, making escape almost impossible. We’ve seen this pattern in cases within Nigeria and from other African countries”, she said.
Mrs. Nwokoro noted that this emerging dimension makes collaboration indispensable, adding, “if traffickers can collaborate across borders, so must we.
“We need more than laws; we need communities that are vigilant, justice systems that protect, and survivor voices that lead.
“Let this not just be a conference,” she said, “but a call to action — one guided by the stories of survivors and the responsibility we all share to protect them.
“The fight against human trafficking is not one government’s struggle; it is humanity’s shared duty. Together, we can build an Africa where no one is for sale, no one is sacrificed, and every life is valued,”, he said.
The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, (SAN), urged African nations to unite in action against the growing scourge of ritual killings and human trafficking, describing the crimes as “commercialised evil” that thrive on poverty, desperation, and silence.”
Pedro said the event was “not just another conference but a continental call to conscience aimed at reclaiming the sanctity of human life in Africa.
“Ritual abuse and human sacrifices are not myths. They are real, expanding, and destroying lives across our communities,” the Attorney-General declared.
Pedro cited disturbing cases across Nigeria that reveal the deepening connection between human trafficking and ritual crimes.
He recalled recent incidents including the abduction and murder of two seven-year-old cousins, Chizaram and Chidinma Onuche, in Port Harcourt; the killing of a college student in Ilorin for ritual purposes; and the arrest of two pastors in Rivers State found with coffins and skulls.
“These are not isolated tragedies,” he said.
According to him, “the National Bureau of Statistics recorded over 150 ritual killings in six months, many involving youths deceived by the false promise of quick wealth.”(italics added by the webmaster FVDK).
He lamented that human trafficking has evolved into a global, organised, and highly profitable enterprise.
He described human trafficking as a high-profit, low-risk crime linked to organised criminal networks.
He said globally, profits from human trafficking are estimated at 236 billion dollars annually,” he said.
Pedro, who also chairs the Lagos State Task Force Against Human Trafficking, outlined the state’s multi-pronged response to the menace.
He said: “between 2022 and 2024, over 4,700 victims were rescued and supported, while five million residents were reached through community awareness campaigns.”
He highlighted the enactment of the Lagos State Organ Harvesting Prohibition Law 2024, which criminalises organ trafficking and imposes severe penalties on offenders, including medical professionals involved in illegal human organ trade.
Pedro stressed that no single nation can win the battle alone, urging African countries to collaborate across borders in prevention, prosecution, and victim protection.
“This evil will continue to thrive where nations fail to collaborate,” he said. “Africa must rise — not in rhetoric but in responsibility.”
He commended Pepperdine University and the Sudreau Global Justice Institute for partnering with Lagos since 2022 on justice reforms, adding that their collaboration had grown into a continental mission against human trafficking and ritual crimes.
“Let history say that from Lagos in 2025, Africa took a stand and never turned back,” he said. “Let us refuse to accept the killing of our children as normal, reject the exploitation of women, and silence that empowers crime. When Africa chooses unity over isolation, we can protect the vulnerable and safeguard human dignity.”
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, in his address, described human trafficking and ritual abuse as a global pandemic deeply rooted in the history of slavery.
He called for stronger community vigilance, legal enforcement, and international collaboration to eradicate the menace.
Justice Alogba urged local communities to take the lead in identifying and reporting suspicious activities. “If the community does not perceive human trafficking and ritual abuse as wrong, perpetrators will continue to go unpunished. Every citizen must be their neighbour’s keeper,” he added.
Justice Alogba lamented that centuries after the abolition of slavery, its modern offshoots — human trafficking, ritual killings, and organ trade — still thrive under different guises for economic purposes.
“Ritual abuse and sacrifice are grim offshoots of slavery, initially driven by economic motives,” he stated.
The Chief Judge stressed that the problem cannot be effectively addressed without tackling the social and cultural beliefs that continue to justify the exploitation of human beings.
“Our cultural ethos must be properly investigated. The use of human beings for rituals or any form of abuse, no matter how it is rationalized, is evil. The fight must start from our communities,” he said.
Justice Alogba emphasized the need for proper training and motivation for law enforcement and investigative officers, describing them as the “foot soldiers” in the anti-trafficking campaign. According to him, traffickers are now well-organized and heavily funded, requiring equal sophistication in combating their operations.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Lagos State Government, Justice Alogba commended the legislature for enacting stiff penalties against offenders and pledged that the judiciary would enforce the law with strictness.
“The Lagos judiciary will ensure that anyone found guilty of trafficking or ritual abuse faces stringent punishment in accordance with the law,” he assured.
The Chief Judge called for broader collaboration beyond Africa, noting that trafficking networks have become intercontinental. He concluded by stressing that sustained public sensitization and awareness are critical to winning the battle.
“Government, communities, and individuals must unite against this social pandemic. Sensitization and education remain our strongest tools,” he said.
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs. Binta Bello warned that the growing nexus between ritual abuse, human sacrifice, and human trafficking poses a grave threat to Africa’s moral fabric and security.
The NAPTIP DG who was represented by the Director of Intelligence, Mr. Josiah Emerole, described ritual-linked trafficking as one of the “darkest and most complex forms of human exploitation” that has for too long escaped direct confrontation.”
“The intersection between ritual abuse and human trafficking is not theoretical — it is a lived reality for countless victims,” she said. “In Nigeria and across West Africa, young people are being trapped in cycles of exploitation by fear, superstition, and coercion disguised as culture.”
Bello explained that from the early years of NAPTIP’s operations, investigators confronted the use of juju oaths, fetish rituals, and sacrifices to silence victims trafficked abroad for sexual exploitation. “Victims were forced to take deadly oaths before native priests, binding them into fear and obedience,” she said. “These rituals were more powerful than chains; they enslaved the mind.”
Although NAPTIP has since achieved major progress — including the 2017 intervention of the Benin Monarch to abolish ritual oaths — Bello lamented that ritual abuse has not disappeared.
“It has simply evolved, travelling across borders and taking new forms in destination countries,” she said.
She cited a 2008 incident in which a voodoo priest arrested by NAPTIP died mysteriously in custody after warning officers not to cross certain rivers — a case that led to the arrest of NAPTIP officers by police investigators.
“Such incidents complicate prosecutions, stall investigations, and sometimes erode public confidence,” she explained. “These crimes are not just spiritual or cultural; they are legal and human rights issues that demand coordinated action.”
Bello also revealed that investigating ritual-linked trafficking remains one of the most challenging aspects of law enforcement.
The NAPTIP boss cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics showing that over 150 ritual killings were recorded in the first half of 2025 alone, with women and youths as major victims. The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), she noted, also documented over 168 ritual-related deaths in 2022 and nearly 100 in 2024.(italics added by the webmaster FVDK)
“These are not random acts of violence,” she stressed. “They are symptoms of a deeper disease — poverty, inequality, erosion of values, and belief in the efficacy of human sacrifice as a path to success. Weak law enforcement and judicial bottlenecks have further emboldened perpetrators.”
According to her, the Lagos colloquium marks a historic moment for Africa’s anti-trafficking movement.
Bello said the gathering aligns with Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Human Trafficking (2022–2026), which rests on five pillars: Policy, Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnerships.
Bello pledged NAPTIP’s full commitment to implementing the outcomes of the colloquium in collaboration with domestic and international partners.
“By putting ritual abuse at the centre of this global discussion, we are redefining the future of counter-trafficking work,” she affirmed.
“The lives of our children and women are too precious to be sacrificed at the altar of greed or superstition. The dignity of our people is sacred — and the cost of inaction is far too high.”
Director of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Pepperdine University, USA, Prof. Cameron Collum, also called for a united African response to end ritual abuse and human sacrifice, describing the practices as “pure evil” that must be confronted through collective action, policy reform, and justice system strengthening across the continent.
Prof. Collum praised Nigeria’s renowned hospitality and the choice of Lagos as the host city, saying the state represents “the heartbeat of Africa” and a continental leader capable of influencing change.
He explained that Pepperdine University, based in Los Angeles, California, operates on five continents and is committed to using academic resources to make tangible social impact.
“We don’t want to be a university lost in academic theories; we want to work alongside leaders to achieve real results,” he said.
According to him, Pepperdine’s partnership with Africa began over 20 years ago in Uganda, when the university helped establish a fast-track juvenile justice system that expedited trials for detained minors. The initiative, he said, led to the creation of a broader plea-bargaining system that improved access to justice and reduced prolonged pre-trial detentions.
“Uganda’s success story inspired other countries to replicate similar reforms, and today, we are working with nearly 20 African nations on justice initiatives — including anti-human trafficking and rule of law projects,” Collum noted.
He stressed that while human trafficking is widely acknowledged and addressed globally, ritual abuse and human sacrifice remain largely unspoken issues. “Everywhere I go, leaders acknowledge ritual killings as a real problem, yet few programs tackle it. This conference aims to change that by starting a Pan-African conversation to end these atrocities,” he declared.
Collum said the two-day colloquium was designed to be action-oriented rather than academic, bringing together about 200 delegates from 15 African countries, including policymakers, judges, prosecutors, NGOs, and community leaders.
“With collaboration, courage, and leadership from places like Nigeria, I believe we can end the evil of ritual sacrifice once and for all,” he concluded.
It’s impressive how the police uncovered everything, but it never led to a rial. The perpetrators went unpunished. A painful thought. (webmaster FVDK)
The photo Joyce Osagiede claimed to be Adam (Image: PA)
Mystery of boy’s torso found in Thames after ‘voodoo ritual’ remains decades later
Published: September 7, 2025 By: Saskia Rowlands – The Mirror, UK
More than two decades since little Adam’s torso was discovered in the river Thames, police are no closer to finding the boy’s killer after he was slaughtered in a horrific “voodoo ritual”
The child’s torso was dressed in orange shorts (Image: PA)
The torso of a little boy from Africa was found in London’s river Thames over two decades ago – but his killer is still on the loose.
An investigation found the youngster, aged between four and seven, was smuggled into Britain and slaughtered as part of a horrific voodoo ritual. Tests proved he had been plied with a powerful potion of gold dust and quartz, drugged into paralysis with a type of African bean and had his throat slit.
But despite several arrests and forensic breakthroughs over the years, nobody has been brought to justice for the horrific crime. As the 24th anniversary of the horror approaches, we take a fresh look at the evidence and how the story unfolded.
Officers recovered the body upstream (Image: SWNS)
The discovery
On September 21 2001, IT consultant Aidan Minter was walking across London’s Tower Bridge when he caught sight of something floating in the water. It was just 10 days after the 9/11 attacks in the US and the city was still strangely quiet.
At first, Aidan thought it was a shop mannequin with a red cloth attached to it. But as the object passed under the bridge and out the other side, he realised he was in fact staring at a headless child.
It’s a memory Aidan lives with to this day. He said during an interview in 2020: “I do think about him – I’ll never forget it for as long as I live.” Police pulled the body from the water upstream, close to the Globe Theatre, later that day. They named him Adam.
Aidan Minter spotted the torso in the river (Image: BBC NEWS)
The first week
Early investigations suggested Adam’s body may have been in the water for as long as 10 days. Police conclude he died from having his throat slit. His arms, legs and head had all been expertly amputated. The body parts have never been found.
There were no signs of physical or sexual abuse, and he had been well fed. He was wearing nothing but a pair of orange shorts – something which later gave officers their first breakthrough. The label indicated they were made by firm Kids & Company and the size and colour could only be found in a small number of shops in Germany.
Detective sergeant Nick Chalmers was one of the police officers assigned to the case and says it was the strangest and most complex of his career. He added: “You definitely have a tie to a case, and there’s this drive to find answers. The one thing that has lingered is the frustration that we didn’t find all the answers.”
Retired detective Nick Chalmers worked on the investigation (Image: BBC NEWS)
African connection
Tests showed Adam had lived in Africa until shortly before his death. Because his body had been precisely butchered, experts decided it had been a ritualistic murder.
Some thought it was a rare so-called “muti” killing found in southern Africa – when a victim’s body parts are removed and used by witchdoctors. Others said it was more likely a human sacrifice linked to a twisted version of Yoruban belief systems from Nigeria.
Nelson Mandela later made an impassioned plea to the African public for help, saying: “The boy comes from somewhere in Africa, so if anywhere, even in the remotest village of our continent, there is a family missing a son of that age who might have disappeared around that time please contact the police.”
Nelson Mandela made an impassioned plea (Image: Mirrorpix)
Breakthrough
In July 2002, social workers in Glasgow became concerned for the safety of two girls living with their mum, an African woman named Joyce Osagiede. Council workers found bizarre, ritualistic objects in her home. And at a court hearing to take the children into care, Joyce told an alarming story of cults, killings and sacrifices.
Joyce Osagiede was considered a key witness (Image: BBC NEWS)
DS Nick Chalmers searched her home and found clothes with the same Kids & Company label and in the same sizes as Adam’s orange shorts. Joyce is arrested.
Officers were convinced Joyce was an important part of the story, but she was confused and kept changing her account. She denied knowing Adam, but was unable to explain the extraordinary coincidence about the shorts. Officers lacked enough evidence to charge Joyce. She remained in Glasgow awaiting an asylum decision.
The shorts were from a brand called Kids and Company (Image: SWNS)
September – November 2002
Forensic work narrowed down Adam’s birthplace to land near Benin City in Nigeria, which is Joyce’s home city. Pollen samples in his gut showed he had been living in the south-east of England for a few days or weeks before his death. Also in his stomach was an unusual substance made of African river clay – including vegetation, ground bone and traces of gold and quartz. The presence of ash showed the mixture had been burned before Adam ate it.
In November, Joyce was deported after the Home Office rejected her asylum application. She vanishes after landing in Lagos. Afterwards, German police say she lived in Hamburg until late 2001, which is the city where Adam’s shorts were purchased.
July – October 2003
A man named Kingsley Ojo is arrested as part of several human trafficking raids in London. Police discovered he was one of two contacts on Joyce’s phone. And during a search of his house, officers find an animal skull pierced with a nail, liquid potions, packets of sand and a videotape labelled ‘rituals’ which showed an adult being beheaded.
Kingsley Ojo was jailed with four charges of people smuggling and using fake documents (Image: PA)
Meanwhile, botanists at London’s Kew Gardens analysed samples of a plant found in Adam’s gut and discovered he was fed small amounts of Calabar bean, sometimes known as the Doomsday, and used in witchcraft ceremonies in West Africa. The dosage found would have paralysed Adam but not prevented any pain. Ground up seeds from the Datura plant, which acts as a sedative and causes hallucinations, were also found.
Traces of so-called Doomesday seeds were found in Adam’s stomach (Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
July – December 2004
Kingsley Ojo was jailed with four charges of people smuggling and using fake documents to obtain a passport and driving licence. He was said to have performed ‘juju’ ceremonies for other inmates behind bars.
An inquest into Adam’s death recorded a verdict of unlawful killing, hearing that he died from neck wounds suffered while he was still alive.
Adam was laid to rest in an unmarked grave( Image: BBC NEWS)
2005 – 2008
Kingsley Ojo offered to help the team investigating Adam’s death and claims he has secret recordings of Joyce. While awaiting deportation, he convinced officers he could help and spent two years feeding them information.
In December 2006, Adam’s body was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in a London cemetery. And two years later, Ojo is deported back to Nigeria after detectives decide they can’t rely on him.
In Nigeria, Joyce Osagiede finally admits she looked after Adam when she had lived in Hamburg in northern Germany and bought the orange shorts found on his body. A social worker assessing benefit claims later says she met Joyce on several occasions when she was in Hamburg and remembers seeing her with a small boy who she believes was Adam.
March 2011 – 2012
Joyce Osagiede claimed a photo found among her belongings in Germany was of Adam. She said his real name was Ikpomwosa and that she had looked after the boy, but gave him to a man called Bawa.
The following year, Joyce’s brother Victor said the boy in the photo was not Adam, claiming it was a misunderstanding. The BBC later met with Victor and Joyce who said the boy in the image was actually called Danny – who was later tracked down in Hamburg.
Joyce then suggests Adam was called Patrick Erhabor. She later identifies the man Bawa as trafficker Kingsley Ojo. Ojo continues to deny links to Adam’s killing and no evidence of his involvement is found.
The photo Joyce claimed to be Adam(Image: PA)
September 2021 – present
The Met Police launch a fresh appeal to find Adam’s killer to mark the 20 year anniversary of his body being found. The previous year, Joyce’s brother Victor revealed Joyce had died.
Aidan Minter, who spotted the body in the river, was diagnosed with acute post-traumatic stress disorder. He says he felt utterly helpless, knowing his discovery was somebody’s son.
For retired detective Nick Chalmers, the lack of answers is deeply frustrating. He said: “This was an innocent young child. There are people responsible for his death who haven’t been brought to justice. Twenty years on, I wish we knew the identity of Adam – and his parents. In reality, he is a missing child from a family, who probably don’t know he’s buried here in London.”
Sometimes the reality is more impressive and imaginative than pure phantasy – as demonstrated by the article below.
However, honesty requires to mention that the self-confessed perpetrator of the ghastly acts described below may be mentally deranged and/or his alleged killing for ritualistic purposes and subsequent cannibalism a produce of his phantasy. Anyway, I did not want to withhold you, the readers, this article.
The end of the article sounds odd. Nevertheless, I decided to include it as it is being presented.
Warning: the following article contains graphic details of horrible acts. (webmaster FVDK)
Ibadan man confesses how and why he killed 76 women for ritual purposes
A mysterious Ibadan man whose name is yet unknown had confessed to killing over 70 women for ritual purposes in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
The man popularly called ‘Mistina Orobo’ born in the Foko area of Ibadan who claimed to have now become a pastor said the number is not part of the people he had been hired to kill and had eaten in his life.
He revealed this on a popular socialist, Yinka Ayefele’s radio station, Fresh FM’s programme titled, “Opeyemi” in Ibadan on Saturday.
According to him, the blood of the women was needed to renew his mystical power, and their bodies were eaten after the needed blood had been taken.
“My idol takes about 73 to 76 women for over seven years. These women are always gotten from the club or other popular places. When I eat people, it is purposely to renew the voodoo in my body. Sometimes, when I’m shot, it won’t penetrate, even when I’m hacked, the machete breaks. The sweetest human parts are tongue, palm, and foot.”
“I also work for bank managers, politicians, and some other rich men. I’m very popular among them. When I first worked with a bank manager, it was one wealthy man that we killed and the info was supplied in the bank.
“The only person who was left to sign refused to sign, we visited him, made him sign, and killed him aftermath. I charge up to N50 to N80 million to get people killed and we always work as a team. I taught some people to work, some as highway or armed robbers and I usually get my fair share,” he added.
The man also narrated the roles he and his boys played during elections in Oyo State while soliciting that his identity be kept away from the public until it was time for him to reveal it.
Responding to questions on his early beginning, the mysterious man confessed to eating sacrifices since the age of nine as the son of an herbalist and how he became a hired assassin.
“As a child of an herbalist, I always eat sacrifices in seven different junctions, this was what fortified me before I grew up to become a dreaded hired assassin and sometimes, highway robber.”
However, sharing the story of how he turned a new leaf, the man said he met Jesus in his dream after he attempted to avenge people who earlier fought with him.
He noted, “I had been killed before but I woke up because of the idol I had at home. The day I went to retaliate those people who fought and killed me. When we got to the first person, I had a change of mind. When we got to the house of the other one, he was drunk, and my boy was about to unleash on him when I begged that he should be spared, since then, I have been sympathetic and have left the wayward life. Now, God has taken over my life.
“I am now in a seminary. I spent four years learning to be a prophet. I am not ready to establish a church, I just want people to know my terrible story. I had sold all three houses and cars I bought while engaging in these acts. I met Jesus in my dream.”
He also stressed that a former lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye (a.k.a. Sugar) died because he was in Ghana at that time if not it would have been averted, adding that he had always informed Sugar of the dangers looming.
Sugar died on March 9, 2019, in the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital, after suffering bullet wounds in the head from shots of suspected political thugs in the Lalupon area of Ibadan.
The news of his attack spread within minutes, with some insinuating that he died on the spot.
“Nigerian movies have generally tended to present false narratives, (….). They have glamorized voodoo, conveying the impression that it is the only source of wealth, and thus misleading the country’s army of impressionable, often jobless youths who have, by their own admission, not only learnt bad habits from the movies but put them into practice, sometimes landing in the clutches of the law and lamenting their poor choices. “
Moreover, the Tribune Editorial places the ban in a historic perspective and appeals to film makers to take their responsibility in a modernizing society such as Nigeria’s. It concludes:
“(…) movie culture should be dynamic. (…) the content of Nigerian films should be in tandem with the paradigm shift in the society. The idea, however, is not just about issuing a ban, but more about the state of enlightenment and development of those involved in the industry. Their production naturally would not just portray their creative predilections, but also their level of consciousness, which makes it important to raise the consciousness of movie producers and practitioners, such that they would key into the idea of using their films to portray the limitations of rituals and not seek to glamorize them. Indeed, with the right kind of consciousness, films and movies are some of the best ways to help change society and correct anomalies. (…)”
Well said! (FVDK)
The ban on money ritual, other vices in movies
Published: May 31, 2024 By: Tribune Editorial Board
WORRIED by the accustomed negative trends in Nigerian movies, the Federal Government recently placed a ban on the promotion of money rituals and vices in Nigerian films.
Disclosing this during a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood held in Enugu, Enugu State, an event organised by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the Executive Director/CEO of the NFVCB, Dr Shaibu Husseini, said that the country was currently confronted with an industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions from all parents, guardians and stakeholders.
He said: “I am delighted to announce to you that the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, pursuant to Section 65 of the NFVCB Act 2004, has approved the regulation. The minister has approved the Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Nicotine Product Promotion and Glamorization Display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits Regulations 2024. We have also forwarded the approved copy to the Federal Ministry of Justice for Gazette.”
According to him, besides the health implications, glamorizing smoking in films has a negative influence on teens and young adults, the largest segment of Nigerian movie viewers. His words: “The film industry occupies a central position in the entertainment and creative sector, and it is imperative that we continue to place the highest premium on the progress of the film industry. The NFVCB supports smoke-free movies and supports smoke-free Nollywood, and we therefore seek your collaboration to develop creative content that discourages smoking and promotes positive health messages. After series of engagements, the NFVCB in collaboration with the CAPPA decided to do a subsidiary regulation to address smoking in movies since this aspect was not expressly spelt out in the extant law. The NFVCB is well prepared to take leadership in this regard and has planned and begun implementing innovative ways to achieve its mandate.”
For decades, while there have admittedly been some positives in terms of the exponential growth of the movie industry and the expansion of the audience and income base, together with growth in terms of the technical aspects of movie making, including the use of special effects, Nigerian movies have generally tended to present false narratives, shirked the social responsibility of advocating societal change, and assisted the feckless political establishment in confining the vast majority of Nigerians to the morass of poverty, despondency and despair.
They have glamorized voodoo, conveying the impression that it is the only source of wealth, and thus misleading the country’s army of impressionable, often jobless youths who have, by their own admission, not only learnt bad habits from the movies but put them into practice, sometimes landing in the clutches of the law and lamenting their poor choices.
It is a fact that even at this very moment, most Nigerian movies continue to portray Nigerians as a people very badly; that is, as avid subscribers to dark and demonic practices, fraud, prostitution and drug abuse, to mention but a few. They show a society still living in the stone age, which is why the late erudite scholar, Professor Ayo Banjo, once panned them for consistently portraying a bygone age and for being pernicious in their messages. In most cases, the movies portray Nigerians as a people still stuck in superstition, whereas culture is dynamic and any aspect of it that is repugnant should be discarded. Nigerian movies, if they are to assist in the development and modernisation effort, ought to project positive images and ideas. They ought to enable and give a fillip to science and technology.
Nothing in life is static: movie culture should be dynamic. There was a time twin babies had to be killed in many communities in this country, but magnifying such today is evidently anachronistic. Sticking to the osu caste system, the suppression of widows and genital mutilation is barbaric: the content of Nigerian films should be in tandem with the paradigm shift in the society. The idea, however, is not just about issuing a ban, but more about the state of enlightenment and development of those involved in the industry. Their production naturally would not just portray their creative predilections, but also their level of consciousness, which makes it important to raise the consciousness of movie producers and practitioners, such that they would key into the idea of using their films to portray the limitations of rituals and not seek to glamorize them. Indeed, with the right kind of consciousness, films and movies are some of the best ways to help change society and correct anomalies. The idea should be to conscientize movie practitioners about the need to observe the limits and negatives of rituals and use their craft to help dissuade society from them. The government should take up this advocacy in earnest.
Yesterday’s posting inspired me to draw once more attention to the plight of people with albinism in the southern African country of Malawi. The CNN article which I present below dates from June 2016. Aljazeerah published a similar article in 2017 which I posted on June 15, 2022. In a way the CNN and the Aljazeerah articles are about the same though the latter is much more comprehensive and detailed.
Let the CNN article below speak for itself. It describes a horrendous and scandalous situation, a grim reality. I’ve said it too often on this site. All people have a right to live without fear, it’s a fundamental human right, and each state has an obligation to protect its citizens and to uphold the rule of law and hold perpetrators accountable for their misdeeds.
Warning: some people may find the following article shocking because of its graphic contents (webmaster FVDK).
Hunting for humans: Malawian albinos murdered for their bones
Screenshot – to view the video accompanying the original article please click here
Published: June 7, 2016 By: Dominique van Heerden – CNN
CNN — For Agness Jonathan, every day is a gamble with her children’s lives.
Simple questions like whether they should go to school carry an unimaginable risk of death and dismemberment to satisfy a barbaric demand.
This is because her daughters are living with albinism, a genetic condition resulting in little or no pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. And this makes them a target.
It is children like Agness’ who, according to a newly released Amnesty International report, are being hunted like animals in Malawi where their bones are sold in the belief the body parts bring wealth, happiness and good luck.
The report chronicles the day-to-day lives of those living with the condition, and details the extent of a recent surge in killings of albinos living in the landlocked country in southern Africa.
The bloodiest month was April this year, when Amnesty says four people were murdered, including a baby.
One of the victims was 17-year-old Davis Fletcher Machinjiri, who left his home to watch a soccer game with a friend, but never returned.
The Malawian police say he was abducted by “about four men who trafficked him to Mozambique and killed him.” Describing his gruesome death, they say “the men chopped off both his arms and legs and removed bones. They then buried the rest of his body in a shallow grave.”
Since 2014 at least 18 albinos have been killed, another five have been abducted and are still missing.
And if it weren’t for alert locals, Agness’ youngest daughter Chakuputsa would be one of them.
She was grabbed by three men while her mother was out working the fields. Agness describes how villagers chased after the men who eventually dumped the child in the bushes nearby. It turned out one of the attackers was a relative, someone, Agness tells Amnesty, she had considered like a brother. This, the community says, is all too common.
Attackers are known to sell body parts to witchdoctors in Malawi and neighboring Mozambique, hoping to make quick money.
Amnesty says “thousands of people with albinism are at severe risk of abduction and killing by individuals and criminal gangs,” while the United Nations warns that Malawi’s albinos are at risk of “total extinction.”
Grace Mazzah, a board member of the Association of People with Albinism in Malawi, is always aware of the price on her head.
I am flabbergasted after reading this investigative report of a courageous reporter who posed as a desperate internet fraudster who wants to ‘get-rich-quick’ by contacting herbalists tracked online. Her experiences are amazing!
It is hard to believe this happens in real life. Judge for yourself. (webmaster FVDK)
Inside the world of Nigeria’s deadly money ritualists where human parts are traded like commodities (Part I)
From the left: Initial preparation as sent by Ifatunde; Ifatunde preparing the money-making charm and Oladipupo
Published: May 13, 2022 By: Segun Adesina – Punch, Nigeria
The craze for getting stupendously rich through the senseless killing of humans for rituals has reached an alarming crescendo in Nigeria. The phenomenon has thrown families of victims into untold anguish. For two months, posing as a desperate internet fraudster searching for mystical means to acquire wealth, our reporter, using the pseudo name, SEGUN ADESINA, met with herbalists tracked online for help
What was uncovered was a frightening, sadistic romance involving young men, voodoo, and traditionalists that are ready markets for booming human parts harvesters.
Oladipupo Olalere looked remarkably fresh for an herbalist. His eyes were fixated on a book of mystics propped on his lap. Not even the presence of a potential customer could distract him. He only managed to nod his head to acknowledge the presence of our correspondent, pointed to a weather-beaten wooden bench and went on to flip through the pages of the book, mumbling inanities.
The 30-year-old plies his trade somewhere inside the densely populated area of Oja-Oba in Ibadan, Oyo State. His shrine is a ramshackle building sandwiched between two old structures with brown corrugated iron sheets. His dimly lit room was littered with fetish objects, mostly wrapped in red cloth. While some were displayed on wooden tables, others thickly coated with dust, hung loosely on the dirt-stained wall. Inside the room, which was crammed with other odd-looking objects, was an area demarcated with a cream cloth.
Staring at the space generated an eerie feeling as it oozed secrecy. From all indications, it was not meant for prying eyes. Before the visit, our correspondent had been in talks with the herbalist, who has over four thousand followers “liking and sharing” his fetish suggestions.
Known as Ifatunde Ifayemi on Facebook, his timeline is littered with adverts beckoning on individuals interested in all manner of charms, especially those that hold great promises for individuals seeking avenues to get rich mysteriously.
With his page, a beehive of interactions, he constantly fed fans with content that boasts his mystical powers and deep-rooted traditional beliefs. With flagrant disregard for identity protection, he flaunts his clients as a way to prove his success rate as a money-ritual guru.
It was from one of his posts that our correspondent got his phone number and began a negotiation that, with time, led to a face-to-face meeting.
Initially, when the conversation was initiated, the picture painted by our correspondent to Oladipupo was one of a frustrated Yahoo boy (Internet fraudster) faced with a life of struggle and lack, and was ready to stake his neck to hit the goldmine through money ritual.
Oladipupo flanked on both sides by two clients
A journey into the mysterious
Excited by the call from not only a new client but one ready to go the whole hog, Oladipupo, with-no-holds barred, revealed and explained coded traditional terminologies, which he said were only known by money ritual underdogs.
PUNCH Investigations gathered from him that various types of money rituals had their attached consequences. Oladipupo said the two in high demand were ‘Osole Gbigbona,’ which required human parts, and ‘Osole Tutu,’ the one prepared with animal parts.
Following promises by our correspondent to ensure a huge return after hitting it big and sensing his desperation, the herbalist voluntarily opted to prepare the ‘Osole Gbigbona’ money ritual.
While still marketing the extraordinary potency of this particular charm, he warned that it would cost quite a lump sum of money. Still, he refused to divulge the amount on the phone. Oladipupo later gave our correspondent an address in Ibadan for a physical meeting to finalise the arrangement.
Meeting days later, Oladipupo ranted about popularly held perceptions on the potency of money rituals and boasted about a sizeable number of Nigerians he had made stupendously rich. The conversation, which was more of a self-advertisement, appeared to be a mind-playing gimmick meant to mentally prepare our correspondent for what was ahead.
He said, “Osole Gbigbona is real. Some are more potent and effective than others. I have done so many money rituals. From Abuja to Abakaliki, I transfer the charms. I have clients abroad and send the charms through courier,” he boasted with a glint in his eyes.
Oladipupo said he relocated to Ibadan from Ogun State because of the huge patronage he enjoys from mostly young Internet fraudsters.
He said, “I have more customers in Ibadan than Ijebu Ode. You know that a prophet is not respected in his own town. I have customers that sometimes lodge in hotels for weeks, and when it’s time to eat the concoction made for them or to collect the charms, they will come to my place. Two friends came to me from Abuja and another from Abakaliki. I posted about them on my timeline,” he said.
A vivid description of the individuals matched some uploaded pictures discovered on his Facebook page by PUNCH Investigations.
The actual cost of money rituals made with human parts
Delving deeper into the mystery, Oladipupo explained what each money ritual entailed and asked our correspondent, “Do you want the one that will yield money immediately or that which would make people start rendering monetary favours to you?
“There is money-making soap that will be prepared for you with parts of a dead body. When bathing with it, the dead body will appear. You may not see the spirit, but you will hear words like ‘give me my head or give me my flesh,’ depending on the part used. The potion prepared with body parts is more potent than those made with the head of lizards or other animals.”
Our correspondent asked for the cost after Oladipupo’s earlier advice to go for the money ritual prepared with human parts due to its efficacy.
Ingredients for rituals bought by Ifatunde.
“Osole Gbigbona will cost you N250, 000. I am offering you this charm at a cheap price. If you can get me the money, you will have so much money within one week. You will see money and become afraid,” he blurted with accompanying incantations.
The herbalist further boasted that the charm prepared with human parts can last for three years, adding, “By the time it expires, you would have made more than enough money.”
Asked if there are accompanying repercussions, Oladipupo answered, “Since you are not the one that killed the person, there won’t be any problem.”
Pretending to be pleased and convinced, our correspondent asked Oladipupo for his bank details, promising to transfer the amount needed for the money ritual once he gets to Lagos.
Surprising ease of obtaining human parts
Before taking his leave, pretending to be worried, our correspondent asked the herbalist how he intended to source the human parts required for the money ritual.
He dismissively answered that he was unaware but later said it could be harvested from accident victims or dead bodies.
After a deep thought, he (herbalist) claimed to also source from herb sellers and “from old members of Oduduwa People Congress.”
In order not to arouse suspicion by probing further, our correspondent left with a promise to transfer the N250,000.
However, three days later, instead of returning with the money, our correspondent called to make an odd urgent request – to procure a human toe for personal reasons.
Without hesitating, Oladipupo promised to contact his supplier and revert back on the price and mode of delivery.
A few minutes later, he called back with the news that the toe could be delivered at any location. He (herbalist) was ready to act as a middle man to broker the deal.
He revealed that it would cost N50,000, but after negotiation, the duo settled for N40,000.
“Once you send money and it is confirmed, I will get it from the supplier and bring it to your place. If you send the money today, I will bring it to Lagos today. My delivery fee is N5,000,” he said.
PUNCH Investigations, however, aborted the mission by not contacting Oladipupo, as it was unclear where the toe would be sourced from.
It is worth noting that the transaction was hinged on an agreement of payment before the supplier would source for it.
After two weeks of silence, the herbalist sent a message to our correspondent to find out why he had yet to hear from him, but he got no response.
Enter Ifatunde, 19-year-old herbalist cum swindler
In Oyo State, Ifatunde, a 19-year-old, who hoodwinked our correspondent into believing he was in his 70s, held sway.
He was the second herbalist that PUNCH Investigations’ search unearthed on Facebook and was contacted via a number advertised on his posts. In what could pass as a veiled attempt to deceive desperate victims, Ifatunde had the ‘Odu Ifa Corpus’ symbol as his profile picture.
However, PUNCH Investigations stumbled on another of his Facebook accounts with another mystical symbol used as a display picture through a WhatsApp number given to our correspondent by the herbalist, which he claimed belonged to his son.
Findings showed that the first Facebook account had 2,140 friends, while the second had 1,000.
He spoke with an unadulterated Ibadan accent in a series of telephone conversations with our correspondent that spanned two weeks. He pretended to be a gruffly old man. He continuously referred to our correspondent as ‘Omo mi’ (my child).
Still sounding like a desperate Internet fraudster, our correspondent reeled out why he needed to become rich. Ifatunde wasted no time boasting that he possessed the ultimate mystical power to conjure wealth and success.
However, his bill was small compared to that of the Ibadan-based herbalist.
“Are you ready for it now?” he asked after days of back and forth on the phone with our correspondent.
“I will charge N95,000 for the one that needs human parts. Since you are 30 years old, there is no problem. If you are not up to a certain age, you cannot use it. Some people that are 19 and 20 years old have approached me, and they got what they wanted. Put your mind at rest,” he said.
After pleading with Ifatunde to reduce the fee, the amount was brought down to N40,000. It was agreed that the amount would be paid in two instalments of N20,000.
The herbalist explained that the deposit would be used to buy the human parts and other items needed to perform a particular sacrifice. At the same time, the balance of N20,000, would be paid once the charm was ready.
“I will do it for you. I hope you won’t be an ingrate because the N40,000 is too small. Do you have the money with you now,” he asked.
However, the money ritual came with a clause – no physical meeting between him and our correspondent until the charm is ready.
“Seeing me would render the charm useless,” he warned.
In what appeared to be a tactic to avoid being traced, Ifatunde requested that the money be transferred to a POS operator, claiming to have issues with his bank account but when our correspondent insisted on paying through a bank or back out, he agreed to send the bank details of his son.
He kept demanding more
After an account with the name Promise Oyewole was sent, the first instalment of N20,000 was paid. However, two days later, Ifa Tunde called to demand an additional N10,000 to purchase ‘essential materials’. He claimed the N20,000 was insufficient and highlighted the dangers of aborting the ritual halfway. The money was sent but with an agreement that only a balance of N10,000 would be paid when the charm was ready.
Surprisingly, the herbalist called the next day to demand another N20,000, to carry out another special sacrifice to fortify the money ritual. He said, “Something appeared to me last night, and I had to suspend the preparation. Before I finish the process, we need to make a sacrifice. I saw something with positive and negative side effects. If the sacrifice is made and you start using the charm, you will get results within three days, but if not, it won’t work.
“It seems that you have been using other charms before now, and they don’t work. I don’t want that to happen again. And you know that there is no way we can perform the sacrifice without money. N20,000 should be enough.”
At this point, it dawned on our correspondent that he could possibly be dealing with an Internet fraudster masquerading as an herbalist.
Our correspondent offered to bring the N20,000 to his shrine, pretending to play along. Still, Ifatunde refused and voiced fears that it portended danger.
He referred to an earlier discussion wherein he warned that the charm forbade any physical meeting with a client. Instead, he proposed sending his son, Promise.
“He would wait for you by the roadside at Ipeba to collect the money,” he said.
Findings by PUNCH Investigations showed that Ipeba is a remote village along the Ogbomoso-Oyo Road.
The article below contains a number of interesting views – from various points of view – which throw light on the why and how of ritualistic murders and associated activities in Nigeria, commonly referred to as ‘money rituals’. It also mentions a number of recent ritual murder cases, some of them have been included in previous posts.
Personally I find the statement of a Catholic priest, Fr. Oluoma, perhaps the most convincing, simple as it was. He said that, had killing for money rituals been proven to have any form of potency, juju priests would have been on the World’s Richest Peoples list. Hilarious, simple, and convincing.
But another expert spoken to, the Chief Priest of Aroh Deity in Abagana community, Njikoka Local Government Area, Dr Paul Anieto, said that logic alone cannot explain the whole of life, including the accumulation of wealth.
Without mincing his words he stated that money rituals work. Nevertheless, he was quick to point out that there are various kinds of rituals for wealth.
According to the Aroh Deity Priest, some rituals involve the use of human body parts while others don’t. (…)
The native doctor clearly stated that he does not engage in the kind of money ritual that involves human body parts or blood, because it is criminal. Moreover, he said, it has deadly consequences for everyone involved: the instigator, the perpetrator, and the juju priest who executes the ritual.
Let’s hope he was sincere. (webmaster FVDK)
What we know about ritual killings for money, Juju priests, Imams, Pastors, others speak
• Money ritual real but there are consequences —Aroh Deity Priest • If money rituals have potency, juju priests would be on Forbes’ rich list —Fr. Oluoma … •Faulty parenting, poor education, bad governance driving youths to money rituals —Rev. Hayab … •Money rituals promoted by materialistic clerics – Sheikh Nuru Khalid … •Killing for money rituals, haram in Islam —Shi’ite cleric
These days, reports of certain killings in Nigeria, where the human body is decapitated and sensitive parts harvested are believed to be for ritual purposes. In some instances, especially, if the motive remains unclear, some people assume they must have been about money-making.
However, other people, including Christian and Muslim clerics, don’t believe in the efficacy of money rituals. By that, they mean there is nowhere in the history of humankind where anybody has made real cash appear through the means of magic. They simply describe such an idea as a mirage.
But the belief in the efficacy of money ritual killings continues to be rife, especially in a society like the Nigerian context where religion and the supernatural appear to be the opium of the people due to bewildering economic hardship and widespread poverty.
Investigations reveal that the ritual killings heighten around December and the year before general elections, because people need money to spend during the annual yuletide celebrations and other financially draining pre-election meetings and rallies.
As the gap between the rich and the poor; the haves and the have-nots widen across the country, the desperation to overcome the expanding class divide propel many citizens, particularly the youth demography to turn to the dark sides of the supernatural with the hope there will be a wealth redistribution in their favour through unseen support.
Recall the recent tragic drama in Ogun State where a 20-year-old lady, Sofiat Kehinde, was gruesomely murdered and her head severed for money ritual by four teenager suspects; Soliu Majekodunmi; 18, Wariz Oladehinde, 18; Abdulgafar Lukman, 19, and Balogun Mustaqeem, 20.
They conspired to kill Kehinde and played different roles in her murder. Her skull was severed in her lover’s( Majekodunmi) room after a passionate round of love-making.
Fortunately, the teenagers were apprehended by security men after they got wind that the boys were engaging in something sinister in a building located at Isale-Ijade, Oke-Aregba area of the State.
That is the nature of the Nigerian society where people, including kids who should be minding their studies and dreaming of a glorious future for themselves are pre-occupied with looking for metaphysical explanations to clarify otherwise simple phenomena of pervasive poverty in the land.
However, while some traditional religion practitioners speak of some fetish rituals some embark on for money-making, religious leaders, especially in Christendom and Islam agree to an extent that although life in general is guided by faith in the invisible, those who pursue wealth through the execution of any form of violent homicide are under an illusion, from a spiritual standpoint, that genuine help will come to them.
One of such clerics is Rev. Fr. Oluoma Chinenye John, a priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja who commands a following of 689,903 people on Facebook alone.
If money rituals have potency, juju priests would be on Forbes’ rich list — Fr. Oluoma
According to the Catholic priest, had killing for money rituals been proven to have any form of potency, juju priests would have been on the World’s Richest Peoples list.
In an exclusive chat with Saturday Vanguard, he blamed society’s emphasis on material prosperity for the pressure felt by those, particularly youths who resort to voodoo to make money.
Fr. Oluoma also chided fellow preachers who promote the perception that financial “seed-sowing” in religious houses would translate into miracle wealth.
“Two things I want to say are: First, ritual killing for money is an illusion, it doesn’t work. If it did, the Babalawo (juju priest) who is paid to do the rituals would have done it for himself and be living large. Even the governments would have been using prisoners condemned to death for money rituals instead of wasting their blood by hanging or firing squads. It (money rituals) is an illusion like magic.
“Secondly, preachers of the gospel should stop the prosperity gospel, they should teach people the values of honesty, diligence, generosity and hard work. The emphasis on material prosperity puts pressure on people who resort to any means to make it,” Fr. Oluoma, who shepherds a congregation at St. John Mary Vianney Catholic Church, Trademore Estate, Lugbe Abuja, said.
Faulty parenting, poor education, bad governance leading youths to money rituals —Rev. Hayab
For Rev. John Hayab, the Vice Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern States and the FCT, nowadays many people including minors seek supernatural solutions to basic economic issues that could be resolved through education and logic partly because of bad leadership and the faulty upbringing of children.
Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, the vocal preacher who is also the Country Director of Global Peace Foundation in Nigeria, also said people who traffic in stories of how supernatural power has prospered certain people do so largely to further mislead those who find it hard to accept that someone else can succeed through the ethics of hard work, prudence, and sheer ingenuity.
He said, “The way and manner many of our youths are deviating from moral values and embracing evil just to make money are dangerous for a peaceful future. There are many factors responsible for their going into ritual killings to make money instead of pursuing education that will lead them into researching and investing in science and technology.
“Other nations are doing well in these regard because they have laid a good solid foundation for both the educational, moral and spiritual growth of their nation and children.
“The Bible has admonished us to train a child in the way he should go so that when he grows old he will not depart from it (Prov 22: 6). So, what type of training and upbringing are many Nigerian children getting from parents, neighbors, and even leaders?
“Our society celebrates rich people without questioning the source of their wealth. Churches recognise the best-dressed worshippers and members with big cars not minding the source of all they flaunt around.
How will poorly brought-up children not think that money is everything and go after money anyhow just to be recognised and celebrated?
“Our society and our youths will reject the temptation of killing for money when parents bring them up in the fear of God and love for fellow human beings. Everyone should therefore take parenting seriously by helping to raised godly and responsible children.
“Also, the government must help to make sure our teeming youths have an equal opportunity like their counterparts around the world. A country where basic services are not available can make the youths who are not patient want to make money by all means just to afford some basic human needs.
“When you (government) give your youths poor education, they will use their half-baked knowledge to do wrong things. We should lead our youth by example.
“Likewise, faith leaders should preach sermons that will guide the young people right not misleading some of them with wrong definitions of prosperity. Prosperity is not just about having money. A healthy man, contented, and happy doing what he knows best for the glory of God and the good of all humanity even if he has not much cash in his account or pocket is a prosperous person.”
While there appears to be no logical link between wealth and rituals, the rising incidences of gory killings in our society by suspects who got into trouble with the law, because of their desperation for money are worrying and the society must be held to account for the phenomenon.
Money rituals promoted by materialistic clerics —Sheikh Nuru Khalid
The immediate past Chief Imam of the National Assembly Legislative Quarters’s Jum’mat Mosque, Apo, Abuja, Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid who spoke to Saturday Vanguard from his location in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he is currently observing the lesser Hajj, said the society has lost its sense of value; thereby, placing materialism above spirituality.
He also said that the ultimate goal of some people who engage in gruesome murders for money was the acquisition of political power in the country; stressing that greed also forms the basis of such gory killings.
Sheikh Khalid maintained that greed was condemnable not only in Islam, but in other religions.
The Islamic scholar, who also commands a mass following of 138,266 people on Facebook, stated: “We have to acknowledge that our society is in trouble. Values are lost. Gradually, we are becoming a valueless society. We glorify money and other forms of materialism above spirituality which is increasingly becoming absent in the mosques and churches.
“Materialism is taking the place of spiritualism in our preaching and actions, because the Imams and Pastors are less concerned about spiritual things. If you have a lot of money, you can garner a lot of respect in the society.
“Other issues responsible for the mad rush for money rituals are corruption and the get-rich-quick deceit. Our political system is also one of the factors fueling criminality in the form of money rituals, because without money, you don’t have power. People want money to acquire power. So, they are desperate in search money to reach the political position of power.
“But, if you put all these things together, they will tell you why all the religions are against greed. There are many verses of the Qu’ran and Hadiths of the Holy Prophet, cautioning people to desist from greed. That is why Islam is against inhuman activities that endanger lives, dignity, and the wealth of the common man.
“Above all, we need to do more to bring back the society to its normal sense, because abnormalities are becoming norms in our society.”
There is a telling example of this odd trend of abnormality becoming the norm in the story of 33-year-old suspected ritualist, Afeez Odusanya, who was arrested by operatives of the Osun State Security Network, codenamed ‘Amotekun’ for extracting teeth of dead bodies at a burial ground.
Odusanya, who said he did it for a money ritual when he was paraded at Amotekun command, Sabo area, Osogbo, disclosed he started his quest for money ritual in 2016 but it failed twice after extracting teeth from two different bodies in Sagamu, Ogun State.
Rather than accept that what he set out to achieve is impossible, the suspected money ritualist doubled down on his exhumation of buried corpse believing it would ultimately succeed if he added this and that to the process.
People like Odusanya have never seen the rituals translate into money or success, but they still attempt it anyway. By killing people, they get drawn into the relatively profitable trade in human body parts. They do not need to see it work; they just need to believe and start relating to the phenomenon as true.
Killing for money rituals, haram in Islam —Shi’ite cleric
But, a leading Muslim cleric of the Shi’ite sect in Sokoto caliphate, Sheikh Sidi Munir, maintains that tampering with the human body for ritual purposes whether efficacious or not is inglorious in Islam.
He, however, noted that the more killing for money ritual is hyped, the more people believe that others participate in it because it is perceived to be efficacious, and the more those who benefit in the trading of human parts oil the demand and supply chain.
In an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard, the Islamic cleric said: “In Islam, human dignity is a right given by God to all humans, who are referred to in the Qur’ân as God’s vicegerents on earth.
“Islam grants certain rights to humans before they are even born and others after their death. Whether dead or alive, the human body, created by God in the perfect shape, must be given dignity and respect.
“So, money ritual is condemnable in Islam, and the use of human body parts for making medicine, charms and amulet for any reason is haram (forbidden). It is unlawful in Islam to tamper with a human body, and a Muslim who persists in committing these kinds of rituals will find himself on a path that will eventually lead him into becoming a non-Muslim.”
On how to turn the minds of people, especially the youths from killings for money rituals, Sheikh Munir alluded to one of the Hadiths (traditions) to buttress the need for clerics to keep preaching repentance messages from the pulpits.
He said, “In one of the Hadiths of the Prophet Mohammad (SAW), a man was in the habit of digging up graves to harvest human body parts.
One day, he met a woman in a grave and had sexual intercourse with her. Afterwards, a great calamity befell him. He went to a Mallam who told him he would burn in hell fire, because his predicament was a result of his evil deeds.
“The distressed man seized the Mallam and killed him. Then, he went to another Mallam who told him that if he would repent of his sins, the Almighty God will forgive him and take away his reproach. The evil man turned away from his evil ways and became a good Muslim. So, as clerics, we need to keep preaching repentance always.”
Money ritual is real, but… —Aroh Deity Priest
Meanwhile, the Chief Priest of Aroh Deity in Abagana community, Njikoka Local Government Area, Dr Paul Anieto, told Saturday Vanguard that logic alone cannot explain the whole of life, including the accumulation of wealth.
According to him, to say there is nothing like money rituals is to say there is nothing like mysticism in life. He said that to stretch the logic of that denial, implies that there is nothing like God, because many believe that there is a mystical side to the nature of God.
He explained that there are Christians who believe in the transubstantiation of substances i.e. the transformation of forms, for instance, of the water and the wine into the body and the blood of Jesus Christ once they are consumed in the Holy Communion.
Chief Anieto without mincing his words stated that money rituals work. Nevertheless, he was quick to point out that there are various kinds of rituals for wealth.
According to him, some rituals involve the use of human body parts while others don’t. However, the blood of certain animals like rams, bulls, and birds are required.
The native doctor clearly stated that he does not engage in the kind of money ritual that involves human body parts or blood, because it is not only criminal, but also has deadly repercussions for all the parties – the wealth seeker, his collaborators, and the juju priest who executed the ritual – involved.
Dr Anieto said: “Some ignorant juju priest make use of human beings as sacrificial materials for money rituals and lucky charms. But this is not what the African culture teaches.
“Rituals are basically an intercession between the mundane and the spiritual. It is unfortunate that what we see today are so many committing various forms of dangerous and inhuman acts in the name of money rituals.
“I don’t engage in human money rituals and you can never see any real adherent of Odinnani (Igbo traditional religion) engage in money ritual, because “Ani” forbids the shedding of human blood. Violating this taboo comes with devastating consequences, because all deities in Igbo culture requires tooth-for-tooth and blood-for-blood.
“To accumulate wealth requires hardwork and business acumen. This is what Odinaani teaches but it is unfortunate that today’s youths lack this important virtue. They want to succeed at all costs, not minding who gets hurt in the process. They are ready to kill and sacrifice human beings for money rituals without considering the consequences of their action.
“There is prosperity charm which does not require the use of human beings or human parts but you must first have a mundane source of income to make it work. Do not be deceived into believing that there is a spirit that brings money for anyone out of thin air without a mundane source of income even in odious money rituals where human blood and body parts are involved.”
Psychologist speaks
Above all, a professor of psychology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Oni Fagboungbe, said rituals for both money and success exist only in the perception of the people.
He explained that for those who do money ritual, it is their faith that makes the ritual for money work for them and not the incantation or the ritual itself.
To him, it is the law of perception that is at work in cases of successful money rituals. If you perceive a situation as real, it becomes real. That is it. It is not the ritual that brings money, it is their mind and the attachment they give to it.
Fagboungbe decried the spate of ritual killings for money among the youths, and said there are several psychological laws that explain these behaviours.
According to him, “There is the Destalk psychology that says the part can never be better than the whole. The children cannot do something that is not rampant in their country.
“There is also what is called observational learning. This is the most active form of learning. These youths observe what goes on and imbibe it.
“Additionally, the law of effect says any stimulus that brings pleasure will be maximised and the one that brings pain will be minimised. These youth see the society. They see politicians commit crimes and they also see them get out of them and all sort of things. They see how the society eulogise and applaud dubious characters.
“So, there are no deterrent variables available. People do as they like and get away with it. You will hear Yahoo boys say that if they give money to the police, they will be let off the hook.”
While Christian and Muslim religious leaders attempt to undermine the phenomenon of money rituals by appealing to reason and by pointing out how illogical such a belief is, some analysts say that both logic and the law are powerless to serve as the basis of dissuading those who would not be dissuaded from their culturally perception of life and their place in it, because the irrational often trumps the rational in the real world.
Legal prosecution of suspect may have the power to nip in the bud any attempt at senseless killing in the name of seeking wealth, but people will keep believing what they want to believe about the efficacy of money rituals.
Therefore, to effectively tackle the obnoxious practice of money rituals in the society, the government must entrench the practice of good governance and do all it would take to pull the economy out of the doldrums that has widened the gulf between the rich and the poor in the country.
Ritual killing is real, herbalist speaks too
Additional report
By Evelyn Usman
According to him: ‘ I inherited this trade from my late father. Before he died, he warned me never to indulge in any rituals that involves human blood. He told me that some of his professional colleagues died miserably because they practiced money rituals.
“He also told me one of them lost seven of his children after killing a virgin for money rituals. My job is to prepare concoctions with herbs and soap for cure of diseases that are planted into individuals by wicked people.
“Unfortunately, some of us who do legitimate business in this profession are not rich, when compared to those who are into money rituals. While they could be paid between N500,000 and N2 million naira depending on the outcome of the rituals, the legitimate herbalists may die without having N100,000 in bulk .
“Blood is potent for money ritual making. It has several types . But the only thing those patronizing herbalists who practice money rituals don’t know, is that one killing may never be enough. Killing of one person is just the introductory part. As long as the person wants to be rich, he would be sacrificing human beings to renew that evil covenant because the demon in charge of money always requires blood.
“Unfortunately, most people who patronize these herbalists don’t also know they are destined to be rich. These herbalists only demand human blood to fast track their predestined wealth”.
Some recent ritual killings —Lagos
A vivid instance was the murder of 24-year-old Precious Okeke, who just concluded her National Youth Service Corp. The unsuspecting lady had paid a visit to her fiancé ,Maxwell Njoku, at his Ajah , Lagos abode, only for her decomposing remains to be discovered in the apartment three weeks ago.
Report had it that her supposed fiancé allegedly killed her for money rituals, with an instruction by his herbalist to keep her body in the apartment for seven days, after which he would transform into a multimillionaire. Unfortunately, a curious neighbour traced the disturbing stench to the apartment before the expiration of the seven days .Another bizarre incident occurred at Araromi Street in the densely populated Oshodi area of Lagos, following the alleged killing of a mother of five by her husband for money rituals.
In this case, the suspect Sogei Jafairu, who hails from Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo state, was suspected to have poisoned his wife’s food and mistakenly ate it. While his wife did not survive it, he did and reportedly opened up on his deed.
Again in Lagos, One Sherifat Bello was arrested by the Police after he confessed to killing his wife and burying her remains in a shallow grave, for money rituals .
Rivers state
This barbaric act assumed a cannibalistic dimension following the arrest of a suspected kidnapper alleged to have killed one of his victims and used his intestines to prepare pepper soup in River State.
The suspect, Roland Peter, according to the Police in River State , abducted his victim from his house and was at the verge of eating pepper soup and yam porridge prepared with parts of the body of his victim’s when the police swooped on him and some accomplices.
Ogun State
Ogun State seems to be taking the lead in the report on killings for money rituals. Recently, three teenagers were allegedly caught burning the head of a girl they killed for money ritual purposes at the Oke Aregba area of Abeokuta in Ogun State.
The teenagers: Wariz Oladehinde, 17, and Abdul Gafar Lukman, 19, and the 20-year-old, Mustakeem Balogun, confessed during interrogation that the victim identified simply as Rofiat, was the girlfriend of one of them who was lured into their apartment, where they cut off their heads .
On why teenagers engage in money rituals remains a riddle to unravel.
Other arrests made by the Police in Ogun State involved Pastors and Islamic clerics allegedly involved in killings for money rituals.
There had been several other cases of killings for money rituals in the state .
Enugu
In Enugu, the south-east region of Nigeria, the story is the same. A housewife, Mrs Ifebuchukwu Onyeishi narrated recently, how her husband, Chidi Onyeishi, a tricycle operator , in connivance with a nonagenarian Pastor, allegedly killed their seven-year-old son for a money ritual.
The list is endless, with the introduction of different devices to achieving the devilish act.
Clergyman speaks
Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, the General Overseer, Apply Praise Ministry International and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Jakande /Bungalow district of Ejigbo, Pastor Segun Olatunde , said killings for money ritual did not just begin today, adding that he met the ugly phenomenon while growing up as a child.
Asked if it worked , he replied affirmatively . According to him: “Yes, it works for them. Because if it isn’t, people will not be indulging it in the practice . It has been for a long time . I recall as a growing child , our parents warned us never to accept anything from strangers, especially when going to school.
Today, there are different versions of it. Some use human parts to prepare charms , while others use the parts to enhance their business. For some, it is to attract money and favour, to them. It is mysterious, just as money is mysterious and answers to blood.
“Recently some persons were arrested while they were burning some human parts to prepare charms for money rituals. I don’t know how they do it but those arrested said they were burning the human hand for money rituals. For some, the money must be spent in a day, for new ones to come and failure to finish it that day attracts dire consequences.
Killing humans does not guarantee being rich — Ifa Priest, Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon
By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo
A foremost traditionalist and Ifa priest, Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon has said that killing human does not guarantee being rich stressing that many spiritualists that embark on it are actually living a miserable life.
According to the renown Ifa Priest, “money ritual is in two ways, first, the popular gruesome killing of human with a view to using their body parts for money is more of magical than ritual. Over the years of my being a priest, I have never seen or heard any Ifa corpus about killing human for money rituals. It is not a certainty but magical. Many of the spiritualists involved in the illegality are themselves poor.
“If it is certain that once you kill someone and severe body part, mix it with certain things you start getting money, why are the herbalists still poor? Many of those caught after perpetrating the killings and used the body parts still complained that it didn’t work for them. So, it is not ritual but magic. Ritual is what you do regularly to sustain a level of flow of spirituality. In Yoruba tradition, the money ritual does not involve killing humans. It is called ‘Awure’, ‘Osole’. It involves mixing natural materials to enhance business and getting favours, it does not involve killing humans, it may involve using goats, pigeon etc. Those who are responsible for the act are mostly Muslim and Christian clerics. The records are always clear, most of those arrested by police and even paraded are either pastors of Church or Muslim clerics. “To stop the menace, parents must be responsible and train their children in the way of God. We must return to our values, placing integrity above materialism. Parents must be responsible for their children’s welfare and they should not be expecting their children to pay house rent and feed the family. Also, religious leaders must stop giving respect or title to those with questionable wealth. We must collectively eliminate the menace in our society. Killing humans does not guarantee being rich.
The social unrest in Liberia continues. Reports of mysterious murders, unexplained disappearances and ritualistic activities continue unabated. Recently, I’ve reported multiple times on this site on the daily fear of ordinary Liberian citizens following the discovery of bodies ‘with some vital parts missing’ – an obvious reference to ritualistic activities – and after the discovery of victims of some of the gruesome murders which shocked Monrovia’s residents. See my posts of September 30, October 1, October 4, October 5, October 7, October 9, October 22 and October 23.
In the article below Joe Teh reflects on the possible causes of the current wave of mystery murders, disappearances and ritual killings which terrorizes Liberians. Interestingly, the first possible explanation he gives focuses on the general and presidential elections slated for 2023. This is not surprising. Liberia has a bad reputation in this respect. Secondly, he mentions Liberia’s open borders and the country’s fragile if not outright failing security system as another possible cause. In this respect, it is illustrative that the National Police Director, Patrick Sudue, has been denying that ritualistic murders are being committed in Liberia – in spite of the overwhelming evidence.
So far, President Weah has remained silent on this sensitive subject. The reasons for his silence are unknown but this only causes the persistence and spread of rumors and speculations. This is not how to rule a country. The government must act.
This is also the plea worded by Joe Teh in the article below. His article is recommended reading (webmaster FVDK).
Police Must Step Up To Stop the Wave of Killings and Disappearances in Liberia
Published: November 9, 2021 By: Guest contributor Joe Teh – Daily Observer, Liberia
For those who are quite older as I’m, I presume memories of sudden disappearances of people and secret killings have been flashing across the psyche of Monrovia residents in the past several weeks or months. The series of secret killings allegedly going on in and around the city are scenes very hard to process.
For impoverished people for whom there is no public policy response to address their poverty and other social woes, living from day to day, going out and hustling to survive is marked by fear and terror. Yet, the ongoing mysterious disappearances of some residents in the city and the unsolved murders in the communities are a brutal reminder of the “boyo” era in the southeastern region of Liberia, especially Maryland County in the 1960s and ‘70s.
In those days, individuals seeking higher positions of influence in government, or wanting to maintain power, were alleged to have paid middlemen to kidnap and murder people for ritualistic purposes. Vital parts and organs were extracted from victims to satisfy “juju” or voodoo doctors’ requirements for a “powerful” desirous outcome.
The wave of ritualistic killings inflicted terror on the people who, for most part, must walk distances by foot to their farms or villages. You never know when a car will stop by you in a quiet alley or highway, especially when you are a lone traveler or two. “Heart men”, as the heartless killers were paradoxically called, would either offer you a ride or simply jump on you and subdue you to whisk you away to where they can murder you and take your heart and other organs.
The local and central governments remained silent and paid deaf ears to the horrific pains and despair impacting the general population. The simple fact is that some of the key government officials were instigators and participants in such barbaric behavior. They had personal connections in high places, which made it impossible for them to be exposed to the public. Those were the heydays of the now decadent True Whig Party.
And the lesson from history is the biblical precept: Make sure your sin will find you out. And like we say in Liberia, “99 days for rogue, one day for master.”
So came the time when heart men could not get protection from high places. The killing of a poor fisherman—Moses Tweh–in Harper, Maryland, exposed the likes of James D. Anderson, Superintendent of Maryland; Allen Yancy, member of the House of Representatives from Maryland County and son of disgraced Vice President Allen Yancy; Moses Seton, Wleh Taryonnoh and all other middlemen involved in the disappearance and murder of Moses Tweh. After they were tried and found guilty, they were put to death by hanging.
At the end of the 1980s, disappearances again resurfaced. This time, the victims were professional men. Each victim murdered was suspected of being either a political opponent of the government or perceived to be a supporter of opposition. No ritual purpose was suspected here.
Fast forward to the war and beyond. People were killed either because of their ethnicity or because they had been government employees.
During the time of the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), rebels’ killing of civilians and dissenting fighters became common in the streets and neighborhoods of IGNU controlled areas.
The police, under the command of Brownie Samukai, set up a special unit called Rapid Response UNIT. This was an elite unit which helped crack down criminals and stopped the wave of killings and burglaries in the town.
Few other mysterious deaths plagued the nation during the Ellen Johnson and the current George Weah administrations. The suspicious deaths of Michael Allison and Harry Greaves during the Ellen era as well as those of the four auditors from the Liberia Revenue Authority stand out. Why and how those well-meaning compatriots died remain mindboggling. Their killers have not been identified, or are efforts actually being made to apprehend the perpetrators of those dastardly acts?
But the trauma of such murders lives in the minds of the public. Added to that are the sightings of corpses in different communities in and around Monrovia in recent weeks with parts allegedly missing. A girl peddling a small market was found with feet and hands tied in an unfinished building in Monrovia. Her mouth also choked with clothes. Another man allegedly said he escaped from his captors and that he witnessed the murder of a boy who was in captivity with him.
To the contrary, the senior brass of the Liberia National Police have characteristically downplayed these reports and blamed the opposition political parties of instilling fears in the public to besmear the image of the government.
Really? It’s scary. If nothing else, the police authority’s response is further undermining the peoples’ trust in the security apparatus for protection. It is a flagrant disregard for history.
The police further said the corpses found around the city were dumped by relatives who could not afford to bury their dead family members. Isn’t that an insane assertion? The police’s continuous denial of ritual killings may encourage more deaths, because those murderous knuckleheads might perceive such irrational denials as a license to further kill. It may only exacerbate public panic as to where their country is headed.
There are two interesting facts why ritual killing is possible currently in Liberia. The first is the looming elections in 2023. Government positions are the most lucrative in terms of pay and perks, both official and unofficial. Most offices, without initiating programs in their sectors, bring zero balance forward at the end of the fiscal year. What have they done? There is no accountability.
The second is the unrestricted borders and weak security system. You can pass with anything, good or bad at the ports of entry/exit without problem. Just have your bribes in U.S. dollars ready and then literally anything is possible. With demand for human parts such as kidneys, surging in different parts of the world, including some neighboring countries, human parts marketers could be paying people to kidnap, kill and harvest parts for the buyers.
Like the man who escaped from his kidnappers at night, he said he overheard captors receiving US$12,000 as pay from the person who ordered them to seek and kill humans for their parts, like buying old, scrapped materials.
The third simply makes no sense. For example, why would people kill an immigration officer? Why would a man who is peacefully living pursuing happiness and serving God be murder; such as William R. Tolbert,III, son of assassinated President of Liberia? What has the son of former Liberian President Tubman be killed in cold blood? And the government is silent.
Our security system is fragile. Anything is possible.
This is why the police need to step up to investigate every piece of information about missing person and suspicious death. To merely brush aside reports of mysterious deaths does not help to boost confidence in the integrity of the security sector. Its net effect is to drive potential investors away. People planning to attend the bi-centennial celebrations in Monrovia, will also be scared away by these sad events.
In times like these, as in the late seventies, police need to act on every lead to find perpetrators of ritual killing in order to stamp out this evil act, so that people are safe to live in peace and go about their normal business. On the contrary, Police Director Patrick Sudue, sitting stone-faced in denial and then threatening a few law-abiding citizens, who are currently mustering the courage to divulge pieces of information about such heinous crimes, instead of encouraging people to convey more tips to the police, reeks of the obnoxious ineptitude and do-nothing syndrome that are spiraling Liberia into developmental doldrums.
Joe Teh, author of this article is Chief Content Officer of a U.S.-based online Magazine “lib-variety.org. He was also former News editor of the New Democrat, and Chief News editor of Star radio up to its closure by the Charles Taylor government on March 15, 2001. He now lives in Springfield, Mass. Joe Teh, can be reached at joetehwrites@lib-variety.org.
A few days ago I posted an article on the ritual murder of Gracia Prunelle, a young girl in Benin. Knowing that it was not the first ritualistic murder in Benin’s contemporary history (see my previous postings on this site), I went browsing on the internet and came across this article describing an upsurge in ritual killing and ritualistic acts in this West Africa in 2018. The author concludes her article with an alarming cry: despite the increase of these heinous acts, inspired by superstition, the authorities remain silent…. One wonders why….
For the convenience of readers who do not understand Frenchch, a brief summary in English follows here. The translation is the sole responsibility of this site’s webmaster who does not claim to present an exact and precise translation of the VOA article which is subsequently presented in is original version.
Summary:
“An increase in the number of ritual murders terrifies Benin. Missing people have been found in deserted houses and in the forest, sometimes they have vanished, ‘never heard of again’. Behind this phenomenon are witch doctors, people whisper.
A few days ago, a young girl was raped and almost murdered but she was rescued by the police. It happened near Porto Novo, the country’s capital.
The suspect’s house was searched, and police found a human skill as well as organs of some of the victims.
Joël Akondé, a journalist testifies. His brother was the victim of a ritual murder. “He was murdered in a savage and cruel way”, he stated on VOA radio (Afrique radio services). His brother was found back with his throat cut and his blood taken by his murderers.
These ritualistic crimes are committed by internet-criminals, nicknamed ‘gaymen’, who want to impress girls who subsequently become the victim of their unscrupulous assailants.
Some allege these crimes are caused by the widespread unemployment and social pressure.
The ‘keepers of tradition’ have been accused of complicity since they are the ones who teach the youth the secrets of their convent. David Coffi Aza, a well-known keeper of the tradition and Fa priest defends himself. “Voodoo cannot cure, it does not harm” he says, “it’s a neutral force.”
In view of the large scale of these atrocities the silence of the authorities is very worrisome.”, Ginette Fleure Adandé reports from Benin.
Translation by the webmaster (FVDK)
Upsurge in ritualistic crimes in Benin
Recrudescence des crimes rituels au Bénin
The community of keepers of tradition and indigenous religion in Benin (translation FVDK) La communauté des gardiens de la tradition et de la religion endogène au Bénin, le 22 février 2018. (VOA/Ginette Fleure Adande)
Le Bénin connaît une montée des crimes “rituels”. Des êtres humains portés disparus sont retrouvés sans vie dans des maisons inhabitées ou dans la brousse.Parfois, ils ne réapparaissent jamais. Ce phénomène serait l’œuvre des nombreux féticheurs autoproclamés qui passent par ces sacrifices pour asseoir leur hégémonie.
Il y a quelques jours, une jeune fille violée et sur le point d’être sacrifiée a été sauvée de la mort par les forces de l’ordre. Cela s’est passé à quelques kilomètres de Porto Novo, la capitale.
“Vers 3 heures du matin, le conseil de sécurité m’a expliqué qu’une fille de 12 ans a été violée”, raconte Michel Bahou, maire de la commune.
Il a ôté la vie à bien de personnes. Au cours de la perquisition à son domicile, des crânes humains et autres organes ont été retrouvés.
Lors de son audition, il a fait des révélations comme l’explique Joël Akondé, un journaliste dont le son jeune frère a été égorgé et vidé de son sang.
“Il a été sauvagement assassiné, égorgé”, confie-t-il à VOA Afrique.
Ces crimes rituels seraient l’œuvre de cybercriminels communément appelés “gaymen”; les nouveaux modèles de réussite sociale qui se servent de leurs richesses pour attirer les jeunes filles, souvent victimes de ces morts violentes.
Le phénomène serait aussi causé par l’inégalité sociale et un chômage accru.
Devant la barbarie des meurtres, les gardiens de la tradition sont souvent montrés du doigt comme étant complices de ce dérapage; pour avoir mis dans les mains des jeunes sans scrupules les secrets de leurs couvents.
Sur la question David Coffi Aza, gardien de la tradition et prêtre du Fâ connu sous le nom géomancie, se défend.
“Aucun vaudou ne peut faire du bien ou du mal, c’est une énergie neutre”, soutient-il.
Face à l’ampleur du phénomène, le silence des autorités est inquiétant.
David Coffi Aza, keeper of tradition and Fâ priest, Benin, February 22, 2018 (translation FVDK) David Coffi Aza, gardien de la tradition et prêtre du Fâ, Bénin, 22 février 2018. (VOA/Ginette Fleure Adande)
