Tuesday, October 3, 2017

RITUAL KILLINGS IN UNPRECEDENTED DESPERATE MODE IN NIGERIA


Image from http://www.josephwatts.org/hs-faq/ ] 



The spate of ritual killings in SW Nigeria has reached an epidemic level – an unprecedented phase of total recklessness, perhaps indicating utter desperation by people who indulge in these rituals in search of wealth and political power.  

          In Ikorodu, Lagos state, Badoo cultists are no longer patient enough to wait for the occasional straying wayfarer to use in their nefarious human sacrifices, now they go in to people’s residences in the dead of the night to carry out their master’s service.  In one of the incidents on 27th June, the ritualists scaled the fence into the rented home of the Ikehis, shattered the skulls of David, his wife Priscilla (Margaret?), and their two children.  A similar attempt at neigbouring Orji family was abortive, and it provided an account of the operations of the cultists.  Caroline Orji woke up around 1 am just in time to find a stark naked man and drenched in oil (indicating rituals were involved) about to shatter her husband’s head with a heavy stone. According to her, the husband who apparently also woke up simultaneously with her, shouted the name of “JESUS”, and the ritualist took off, “dropped the stone on the premises, scaled the fence and escaped.” https://www.icirnigeria.org/10-things-to-know-about-badoo-the-ritual-cult-terrorising-ikorodu-residents/. After some 26 ritual killings in 12 months, and not knowing who might be the next victims, residents trooped out in a protest to the traditional ruler, asking for intervention – not necessarily to bring justice to the slaughtered, but at least halt the killings.
        The Badoo killings are characterised by the crushing of the head of the victim (exactly the same way the sacrificial animal is killed in the Olojo festival at Ile-Ife – see pg 119 of Ile-Ife, city of the 201 gods by Jacob Olupona).  A white handkerchief is then used to mop the blood and brain matter, could then be sold for as little as N500,000.  It is evident that those killing for these relatively paltry sums (compared with kidnappers) are merely the foot soldiers and agents for much bigger patrons whose interests, presumably, are in political power and influence, and eventually social engineering towards putting in place Satan’s desired new world order.  Recall similar atrocities associated with the infamous Washington DC Pizzagate which we mentioned briefly in an earlier article. In SW Nigeria, human ritualists enclaves exposed within the last few months included those at  Mushin-Lagos,  Ijaye-Lagos,  Ikeja-Lagos, Gbogan, Akure, Ondo,  and Aagba. Outside the region, there are cases reported for instance from  Ilorin and Enugu.
        Following massive public outcry and intense prayers from various Christian groups, the security forces finally moved against the shrines patronized by Badoo cultists in Ikorodu. While we salute the courageous security operatives involved, the big question is whether this would be just another cosmetic show to cool down the tension in public before matters return to the status quo.  For instance, one of the celebrated arrests was that of Alhaji Abayomi Alaka. However barely a few days later, the Alhaji is already walking the streets a free man again.  He even boasted on video that he was not out on any bail, suggesting the matter is already closed. here
          The Sun newspaper published a statement by Alhaji Alaka explaining his supposed innocence and basically arguing that he is just a regular traditional worshipper: “I have this deity, which I have been worshipping for over 30 years. As far as I know, in Ikorodu alone, there are over 100 deities people worship and nobody questioned them….The police searched everywhere and nothing incriminating was found, yet they tagged me a murderer and a leader of Badoo cult.”
             If this Alhaji is to be believed, the Badoo murders were not happening, and there are no shrines for converting the blood-soaked handkerchiefs to demon-supplied money! Not only was he arrested following credible tip-offs by notable personalities in the community and possibly arrested Badoo members, at least 5 graves – one of them fresh were identified on his shrine. The police took along pressmen and the videos are in wide circulation.  Furthermore, Crime rates dropping rapidly even as the shrines are being destroyed. 
          This youtube video showed him boasting at an interview in Ogbomoso, ridiculing the police team that arrested him and suggesting special immunity from further investigation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgGEcM4QfjU. Alhaji Abayomi Alaka who boasted that his investment in Ikorodu alone is worth some 3 billion naira, also reeled off the names (alias) of five other personalities which he suggested must be prosecuted also, if his own matter were not dropped.  These include:  “Oba Ikorodu. Oba gbogbo, Be happy, Iya silifa and F1”. 
         Unfortunately, this boasting doesn’t appear empty, and sad precedents abound.  For instance, despite global interest, nothing has been heard again of the ritualists at Mosarajo , Soka, and so many others (see  our 2014 article here).  Indeed there is NO record of any of these major cases that as much as got to the courts, talk less of leading to any convictions. 
          Incredibly, apologists abound who attempt to give respectable academic support for the continued patronage of these blood-hounding demons who parade themselves as local gods.  As long as many of these ritualists remain prominent in the local traditional festivities, it becomes difficult to separate their heinous activities and so-called local traditional religion.  And there lies the knot in the issue!

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