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The Nigeria Police have attributed the increasing cases of missing young ladies and girls being used for ritual purposes in the country to the prevalent hookup culture pervading society.
This is according to Omolola Odutola, the Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Police Command, who spoke on Channels Television's Morning Brief on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
Odutola, who contributed to the topic, ‘Hookup Culture: Impact on Youth Values and Relationships,’ observed that young girls and ladies within the age range of 20 and 32 fall victim to the menace.
The hookup culture encourages casual sexual encounters in some cases between two strangers who could engage in one-night stands without necessarily involving any emotional bonding or long-term commitment.
This is hardly a new concept given that non-romantic sexual encounters, especially prostitution have been around since almost the beginning of time.
“This particular menace is very serious and I would like a lot of young people to understand the danger in the hookup culture.
“Today, we have lots of reports of missing persons. By the time we start an investigation, not less than 10 young girls and ladies go missing daily.
“In-depth investigations also reveal that those cases are not by accidents. Most of them are connected to hookup channels and apps. They fall victim to strangers who casually invite them to unknown places, and eventually fall victim to being used for ritual purposes,” she said.
Odutola says young people believe in ritual wealth
The police spokesperson added that most young Nigerians, especially males believe that ritual killings can make them rich.
"Most cases of missing girls and ritual killings occurring in Ogun state of recent, I would like to say that it is not new. But as much as possible, the Ogun state commissioner of police has been able to tame these ugly incidents.
“It stems from the ugly perspective of young persons who believe that ritual killing could enrich them. We have some of these unscrupulous elements who deceive young people to get human skulls or human body parts, which they use for some kind of concoction to get them rich.
“That is why we are having advocacy and sensitization, to enlighten young persons to make them understand that engaging in ritual killings does not in any way make them rich,” she said.