The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has urged the Federal Government to introduce the death penalty for ritual killers, describing the act as a major scourge threatening Nigeria’s moral and social fabric.
In his Independence Day message marking Nigeria’s 65th anniversary, the monarch said the country cannot claim to be truly independent while ritual killings remain rampant.
“We are not yet independent until Nigerians are free from the poverty of mind that leads to the killing of innocent souls for rituals. The bloodshed in the land is haunting and hurting,” the Oluwo declared.
While acknowledging government’s efforts at tackling insecurity, Oba Akanbi insisted that stronger punitive laws are needed. He added: “Anyone caught killing humans for rituals should be sent to the gallows.”
The monarch also condemned restrictions on people’s movements in the name of rituals, describing them as uncivilized and harmful to national progress.
According to him, those who shed blood for ritual purposes “will never end well,” stressing that their lineage “will perish with no trace of greatness.”
He further urged government to extend sovereignty to curb practices that restrain people’s freedom in the guise of rituals, warning that such acts must not be tolerated in a modern society.