Civil Societies Call for Urgent Action Against Alarming Rate of Ritual Killings in Delta

Community of Civil Societies Protesting in Asaba

A Community of Civil Societies (CCS) and other stakeholders have held a peaceful Protest to condemn the rate of ritual killings by suspected yahoo boys in Delta State.

The peaceful procession was held on November 28 2018, was initiated by the recent killing of a 3O0 level student of Delta State University, Abraka, Miss Elozino Ogege, by yahoo boys.

During the processions, the CSOs Chanted solidarity songs and asked: “How many more will be killed or be missing before we put a stop to this? The culprits must face the full wrath of the law.”

The group took their protests to the office the Secretary to the Government of Delta State, where they were granted audience by the SSG, Mr. Festus Agas, the Headquarters of the State Police Command, where they were received by the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Officers in charge of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mr. Wale Abas, and the Ministry of Women Affairs, where the permanent secretary, Mrs. Gladys Puegeren and the the Directors received them on behalf of the Commissioner, Mrs Omatseye Williams.

Led by Ambassador Caroline Usikpedo the civil societies group presented “Our Charter of Demad” as follows:
• Call on the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command and all other authorities concerned to quickly conclude their investigation.
• That all the culprits involved, should be tried and prosecuted as a matter of urgency to serve as deterrent to others in the evil trade.
• Call on the Commissioner of Police to launch ‘Operation Flush out Yahoo-Yahoo business’ in Delta State and create security patrol systems in all the institutional places of learning.
• Police escort – Call on the Commissioner of Police to carry out an audit of the number of police escorts detailed out to private individuals and investigate the sources of the wealth of some of them as they are hiding the mask.
• Parents – Call on all parents and guardians to reject the gifts of the luxury cars and mansions that your unemployed wards bring to you without any known source of income.
• Call on the state and Federal Government to as a matter of urgency enact a law prohibiting Yahoo-Yahoo business and ritualism of all sorts in Delta State and Nigeria at large.
• That Government should support the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in our effort to sensitise the citizens, communities and rid our institutions of higher learning of all forms of nefarious activities.
• That government and other relevant authorities should partner with the CSOs and security agencies to monitor the activities of students in schools and prevent them from being victims of ritual killings

At the SSG office, they asked Mr. Agas to inform the Governor about the fear of members of the CSOs that with the quantum of money that the yahoo-yahoo boys have, they will infiltrate the political parties and use their money to gain access to become law makers . They Government must do something to prevent this, they said.

While thanking the CSOs for mobilizing against the social ills in the society, Mrs. Gladys Puegeren said “The story of Elozino is a pathetic one. The way her life was taken is condemnable. If the girl-child and females are not safe, then no woman is safe. As mothers we condemn it,”.

She added that, “Justice must be done. I join you to say that Yahoo-yahoo business is condemnable and must be flushed out of the society.”

At the State Police Command, the O/C CID, and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Abbas said: “We really appreciate your effort. I need to tell you that the Commissioner of Police is not sleeping on this matter. No right thinking person will allow what happened to Elozino to continue to happen.”

He announced that arrests have been made and that police investigation was continuing to unravel the gamut of the matter to further expose others in the evil and dastardly business of Yahoo-yahoo and ritual killings.

Abbas urged the CSOs to also call on government to enact laws that will criminalise the matter so that the police can be effective in carrying out their duties noting that within two months in Asaba, the Police Command has lost no fewer than 10 policemen with their arms and ammunition .