With the constant rise in the menace called ritual killing, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, the deputy minority leader and member representing Awgu, Aninri and Oji-River federal constituency have taken it as a duty to sensitize Nigerians more on the harm it brings to the society.

In a recent interview on an NTA program, ‘Weekend Deal’, the lawmaker asserted more that the only money ritual that works is hard work, while also urging youths to work hard and desist from things of such sort.

While making his points on the National television, Okechukwu said “you see situations of young people, particularly women murdered and some sensitive parts of their body taken. What we needed to do as a parliament was to draw attention to it, so that sensible organs of government begins to pay attention.

“What we agreed and was followed up by the ,minister of culture and tourism regarding the need to be modest and not glamorize issues of ritual killings in our movies, and the national orientation agency to make sure that our people are enlightened. we also called on Nigeria’s censors board to take appropriate measures to vet. we also called on parents to begin to do some better parenting. So it is everybody’s job, because there is some level of dysfunction in the society”, he said.

Refuting the fact that ritual killing is on the rise this period because of politicians, the lawmaker said, “There isn’t any science that authenticates that supernatural, it doesn’t work, to make an assumption there is a rise towards ritual killings by politicians is wrong. It does not work. I am a politician and have never had to visit any native doctor, the native doctor i visit are my constituents and aim for the common good in the Nigerian parliament, so there isn’t anything like that.

“when you see the societal development, there is most likely things you are not able to understand, and you begin to refer to the supernatural. Look at Dangote, Otedola, Coscharis and Allen Onyema of Air peace ; I don’t believe any of them got rich through ritual killing. The ritual they make is hard work. That is the kind of advocacy we need for our people to have a better perspective regarding wealth and success”.

“In societal development, people tend to ascribe witchcraft and the supernatural tendencies. It happened Europe and other parts of the world. These things do not work. There is no politician that is as rich as Dangote. The native doctor doing rituals for you lives in a hut, doesn’t he want to get rich? We need to interrogate these things logically.

He also stressed that ritual killing was sadly being glamorized on social media, urging the various media platforms to remove such posts.

Okechukwu asserted that the upsurge in ritual killing was taking away the drive for industry and genuine enterprise among the youths, “What is the business of an eighteen year with getting rich? If he gets rich, what will he do with the money? That takes you away from industry and the things that should make meaning to you”