The Kaaro Oojiire Omo Oodua Foundation (KOOOF) has advocated the convening of a stakeholders meeting in the South West which will involve traditional rulers, security agencies, government officials, among others, in order to find a way to address cases of ritual killings in the region.
The decision by KOOOF came following series of incidents involving the killing of people for ritual purposes in the region.
In a recent incident, two suspects, Oladeyo Idowu and Monday Ogunniyi, were arrested by Ogun State Police Command for killing one Regina Oladeyo for ritual purposes.
Investigations uncovered that the suspects had an arrangement to obtain human parts from a decomposing corpse for their rituals.
KOOOF, in a statement by its Executive Vice President /Diaspora Counsel, Gbenga Ifayemi Adewusi, said that cases of body parts’ discovery across the geopolitical zone should give people cause for concern, adding that everyone should come on board to look at ways towards addressing the anomaly.
Part of the statement read: “The attention of Kaaro Oojiire Ọmọ Oodua Foundation (KOOOF) is drawn to the epidemic news of human decapitation, body parts harvesting, and skull mining by citizens from nooks and crannies of the Southwest part of Nigeria.
“What makes the news alarming is the regularity of the sordid and inhuman activities and the various types of people involved – from Muslim Imams to Christian pastors; from teenagers to old and young men and women.
“The recurrence of the activities of those involved in the human ritual in the Southwest is indeed a shameful episode that should no longer be ignored and/or swept under the carpet by all stakeholders in Yoruba land.
“It is time that collective and concerted efforts should be made to checkmate the dastard and murderous activities of the few who are tarnishing the collective image of the great people of Southwest Nigeria.
“Hence, no stone should be left unturned by stakeholders and all people of goodwill in Yoruba land to curb the menace of ritual killings.
“If no urgent actions are taken, the spate of ritual killing and the regularity in which they occur is an epidemic that, if left unchecked, will ultimately affect the peace, tranquility, progress, and development of Southwest Nigeria because no investor wants to invest in an area where citizens are regularly and gruesomely murdered to harvest their body parts.
“The current evidence gleaned from news reports indicates that the majority of those caught by the security services have been Muslims and Christians. However, this simple fact is not an excuse to exonerate the Yoruba people from the menace of ritual killing because all those caught by the authorities were mostly sons and daughters of the Southwest soil.
“Therefore, we members of the Kaaro Ojiire Ọmọ Oodua Foundation (KOOOF) categorically condemn the ritual killings pandemic plaguing the Yoruba land in all ramifications.
“We call for concerted efforts to bring the scourge to an immediate halt and end it at all costs to save our people, because the lives of every Nigerian in general and that of Yoruba people in particular, matter.
“We are all aware that there is a false narrative about ritual killing in the Southwest. The false narrative pervasive with most people is that ritual killing is practised by the traditional Yoruba Religion believers.
“This false perception is not supported by available evidence and is far separated from the truth!
“We, members of Kaaro Oojire Ọmọ Oodua Foundation (KOOOF), are using this medium to say in clear terms that the act of human decapitation is not part of the Yoruba traditional beliefs of ÌṢEṢE tenets as it has been assumed.”
He said the Ifa tradition forbids adherents from driving any living creature to extinction.
He stated further: “So, it is strictly forbidden in Ìṣeṣe realm to use any part of human creature for anything spiritually.
“The impression that killing human beings purposely for rituals would bring money or wealth is a total fallacy.
“We, members of Kaaro Oojiire Ọmọ Oodua Foundation (KOOOF), boldly state that there is no money ritual at all.
“Those engaged in ritual killing for money are not practicing the authentic traditional Yoruba Ìṣẹ̀ṣe. That is why there are several factual evidence showing
that those perpetrating the act are not successful anytime they venture into it.
“There are several other Odu Ifá verses that forbid the use of human parts, either fresh or decomposed, in the Yoruba traditional spiritual practices.
“In light of this, it is apparent that anyone who violates the tenets of IFA and other Ìrúnmọlẹ̀s is not an Oníṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀, and as such, should not be addressed as one.
“In conclusion, we members of Kaaro-Ojiire (KOOOF) urge that an immediate meeting be convened by all stakeholders, including our kings, chiefs, governors, and state commissioners of police in all Southwest states, to deliberate about how to find a lasting solution to bring an end to the epidemic of ritual killing of our people.”
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