With the incessant increase in ritual killings across Nigeria, youths in Lagos on Friday gave an insight on how much pressure contributed to the urge for acquisition of wealth among them.
In separate interviews with some young men, they said the get-rich-quick syndrome affected them mentally.
Adrian Lawrence, a 23-year-old undergraduate, “The pressure is real; the need for comparison. I personally keep friends that share the same values as I do. This way, we help each other. That’s how I protect myself mentally; the struggle is real.”
Mr Lawrence added, “I think for each generation they have one peculiarity that keeps them under pressure; for instance I believed in some generation that said getting scholarship to study abroad was the in thing, that’s progressive, but ours is not.”
According to him, the craze for luxury and living a flamboyant lifestyle “is the pressure.”
“Now unlike the olden days, everybody is in everybody’s business thanks to social media. So really it’s crazy,” he admitted.
Olatoun Ajibola, a 27-year-old graduate, blamed society for according respect to only the rich.
“We worship money a lot. Our society only respects those who are rich even when the source of their wealth is questionable. When we, as young impressionable youths, can see how that plays out, he or she will do anything possible to get respect,” Mr Ajibola stated.
On February 4, four Nigerians were charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman in a suspected ritual killing case.
The men, aged between 18 and 20, were arrested on January 29 for killing Sofiat Kehinde and burning her head for money ritual at Oke Aregba area of Abeokuta in Ogun.
According to reports, the deceased dating one of the killers, was said to be lured by her boyfriend, Soliu Majekodunmi, to his room where she was overpowered and murdered.
Some parents attribute the rise in the quest for sudden wealth to the high rate of poverty in the country.
“In my days, going home with someone’s pen will earn you a lot of punishment, but these days you see parents not questioning their children when they bring stuffs that you can’t afford at home,” explained Crystal Ejimbowu.
Mrs Ejimbowu added, “Some children even buy cars and take them home. Parents will open their mouths to say ‘my pickin no be thief, na Yahoo-boy’. Poverty has made parents turn to slaves; their children at age 20 are now breadwinners.”
Salau Akinwunmi, shared the same view.
“A better society starts from the family. We need to do more as parents. Money is not the most thing; integrity is so underrated these days. Peer pressure is not new, but in spite of this, some children have risen above it; we need to be intentional and prayerful as parents,” Mr Akinwunmi pointed out.
(NAN)