The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) has told Nigerians to stop believing they can get rich or become wealthy through killing fellow citizens for money rituals.
AfAW, a group that stands for alleged witches in the society, urged Nigerians to understand that the notion of ritual money and wealth is completely baseless.
The rights group was reacting to the recently reported arrest of suspected ritualists in Boluwaji area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Reports emerged during the week that members of Amotekun had arrested suspected ritualists, who were in possession of the body parts of a 73-year-old man.
The suspects, during interrogations, had told operatives of the security outfit that a Muslim cleric, whom they identified as Alf Salam Salam, asked them to procure some human body parts for rituals.
But in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, AfAW, through its National Director, Leo Igwe, said that irrational conceptions of how to make money or become wealthy and successful undergird these atrocities.
“Many Nigerians think that they could become rich, or successful through ritual sacrifice. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Ritual wealth has no basis in reason, science, or reality,” the statement said.
The group further blamed Nigerian local movies for the increasing rate of killings for ritual purposes, adding that some of these movies continue to reinforce these superstitions.
“So millions of Nigerians grow up blindly believing that they could make money through ritual sacrifice of human body parts,” it added.
“The belief has led many Nigerians to commit crimes and perpetrate atrocities. Many Nigerians have been jailed or are undergoing court trials due to ritual-related attacks and murder.”
AfAW urged all Nigerians to desist from ritual-related abuses, insisting that ritual money beliefs are baseless superstitions.