Ondo State has been in the news for some wrong reasons: witch hunts and ritual attacks . And it has become pertinent to situate these reports, identify underlying factors and drivers of these abuses, and explore ways of addressing them. Here are a few examples. In 2016, the police rescued a four-year-old girl caged by her parents for witchcraft. The foster parents claimed that she was possessed.

They tied her hands, forced her inside a cage, and flogged her in an attempt to exorcise or subdue the evil spirit. In a related development in 2019, some youths prevented the police from arresting a couple who allegedly beat their four-year-old daughter to death for being a witch. The couple fled and took refuge at the palace of the king. It was not clear why the youths prevented the police from arresting the couple. Probably, they wanted the king, not the police, to resolve the matter. In 2024, a 45-year-old woman, Abiodun, accused her mother of witchcraft and subsequently set her ablaze. Abiodun told the police that she went to someone for prayers. The person said that her mother was behind her problems and those problems would not go away until the mother died. So she went and got some petrol, poured it on her, and set her ablaze. The woman later died as a result of the burns that she sustained from the incident. Unfortunately, there has been no news about the current status of the case, that is if the suspect has been charged in court.

From the cases mentioned above, belief in demonic possession motivates people to accuse and abuse people for witchcraft. Witches are believed to embody and personify evil. People, who believe that their children or relatives are possessed by demons, treat such persons without mercy; they subject them to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Also, those who go to prayer houses, consult pastors, prophets and prophetesses, diviners or native doctors tend to accuse people and persecute alleged witches because these godmen and women incite them to commit violence; they make them tackle suspected witches in families and communities. Pastors and prophets claim to have spiritual powers and insights into people’s existential problems; they proffer ‘solutions’ and ‘remedies’ including identifying the occult agents behind misfortunes. Identified witches, as in these cases, are attacked, tortured, or murdered in cold blood.

Furthermore, Ondo has been in the news for ritual attacks. People believe in the potency of ritual sacrifice of animal and human body parts. Traditional, Christian, and Islamic religions sanction and sanctify these beliefs and practices. There have been reports of ritual killings in different parts of the state. Police have reportedly arrested some suspected ritualists and most of them are youths, young persons in their 30s or below. Some people call them Yahoo Boys and their ritual scheme, Yahoo Plus.

Last year, the police arrested a 31-year-old man, Yusuf, with eight human skulls and some human flesh in the Isua-Akoko area of the state. He claimed he had gotten involved in the ritual business to raise money to pay for her mother’s treatment hospital bills. The police have also arrested a 30-year-old man, Olaniyi, with fresh human parts in Ondo town. He was caught with a bag containing two human hands and legs in the Sabo area of the city. Other ritual incidents include those of a self-acclaimed cleric, Tunde Olayiwola who was arrested with a fresh human head, and Dolapo Babalola who allegedly murdered his intimate friend and five other persons for rituals.

As in the case of witch hunting, ignorance, and misconceptions motivate ritual killings and sacrifice of humans or their body parts. Many people believe ritual sacrifice could make them rich. Incidentally, there is no evidence that ritual sacrifice of humans or their body parts yields money, good fortune, or success in business as shown in home movies or Nollywood films. There is no evidence that people can harm others through magical or occult means. These beliefs are superstitious and have no basis in reason, science, or reality. People who attack and kill other humans for rituals murder these persons for nothing. Those who indulge in witch hunts end up killing or abusing innocent people. As the cases have shown, witch hunters and ritualists end up being arrested by the police and then prosecuted and jailed.

Ondo state authorities should take measures to address abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks because the few cases that have been reported in the media are only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the cases happen in rural areas and go unreported. In a few instances, the police intervene; they arrest suspects but these suspects are briefly detained and later released. So perpetrators are seldom punished. Ritualists and witch hunters should be made to pay for their crimes.

Meanwhile, there is a need for public education and enlightenment in schools and communities. Public awareness programs would help change mindsets and attitudes. Public sensitization will reorient people’s beliefs and outlooks. Witch hunts and ritual attacks persist because of educational failures, because schools teach science but do not encourage scientific literacy and critical thinking. The facility to apply scientific knowledge to everyday experiences is limited. Most people use magical thinking and superstitions to process their day-to-day problems. So the government should ensure that the people of Ondo abandon superstition and embrace science and critical thinking.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/03/22/combating-witch-hunts-and-ritual-attacks/

ONDO State again

Hmm, witch hunters and ritualistic human beings are competing in Ondo state today So much for sufferistication

I will rather jejely sell drugs to make people high from my own bedroom and make billions than to wander around with Cutlass and axe looking for innocent people to decapitate and dismember to make few thousands at most

Some people copied Igbo spare parts sellers business model and decided to have their very own 'MGBUKA' for human beings

What's happening in the Southwest for God's sake? Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Ekiti, Osun, What's happening? Ritual Killings here and there. This is getting too much abeg.

Hmm, another one? Seeing this barely few minutes after I saw this?

https://www.nairaland.com/8376482/horror-ibadan-police-bust-syndicate

Mynd44, Nlfpmod, Fergie001, what's really going on in the SW?

Ondo should strongly deal with traditionalists and religious leaders. They're the ring leaders in these acts

This has gotten out of hand.

STATE OF EMERGENCY

COFFINSELLER:


https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/03/22/combating-witch-hunts-and-ritual-attacks/

Human ritual not only making people rich, it also gives them diabolical power and fame, we should stop deceiving ourselves that, it's not real/potent, even the policy makers and top law enforcing agents are into ritual.(Because scientists cannot proof it, doesn't invalidate it's potency.)


Orientation shouldn't be about its efficacy, but how people should be vigilant in other not to fall victims, more so, pressure should be mounted on security agencies to make sure the perpetrators, together with priests that doing it for them, should start getting death sentence for the offences.

Skullarship candidates everywhere

Well, you know, they don’t want us to think critically , it’s easier to control people when they’re stuck in superstitions and magical thinking.

Its sad!
Please Yorubas should stop with the ritual killing, it's now a pandemic

COFFINSELLER:


https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/03/22/combating-witch-hunts-and-ritual-attacks/

This post is fake and you know it. Please take this rubbish down.

COFFINSELLER:


https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/03/22/combating-witch-hunts-and-ritual-attacks/

See them.

Nollywood is a culprit in this.

A very big culprit, disseminating the wrong, harmful belief in ritual wealth, leading to ritual killings.

Make them continue treating with kid glove so that their population will decrease and then fulanis can easily Islamize them like they did in Kwara.

Spiritualism

Not only ondo but all the states in the south west yoruba leaders should come out to condemn the killings and enlighten their people to desist from it if they themselves are not also involved in it.

I see witches and wizards taking over ondo state, I see the inhabitants running away to Ogun and Benin, I see ondo state becoming the witchcraft headquarters in Nigeria.

This I have seen.

If the most sophisticated and richest tribe in the world are into human spare parts selling then there is danger for world and nigeria at large,lagos alone is richer than the whole western Europe why can't lagos help their brothers and sisters in other South west ?

Tinubu hardship has contributed to escalation of this menace

This is not hardship but laziness

This is not hardship but their culture.

Same Ondo?

Instead of attacking their fellow Yaribas, they should focus their attention on the Fulani terrorists ravaging their land.

If I notice that any of my friends has a penchant for consulting soothsayers, Babalawo's or such fetish places, I stylishly begin to avoid their company and I start giving them gap until that friendship dies a natural death.

I can't take any chances lest they put their fetish juju inside food serve give me when I visit them with an unsuspecting mind.

Akure is d most dangerous town in South West. You will be seeing how 419 guys are cornering people along oja oba.
If u stay for express ,u want to enter sole go Owena or ilesha, 5 out of 7 cars u will enter na 419/kidnapper cars
Between Ikere Ekiti to Akure, it's also kidnappers den.
Akure road to Owo at Night na armed robbers den.

The penchant for illegality is very high in Ondo state

Despite all the charms, rituals and witchcraft, Fulani herdsmen keeps killing them daily

Not to forget the massacre at owo


They love tinubu, they love apc what is the result death, sorrow and pain

Ignorant people

EmeeNaka:
Ondo should strongly deal with traditionalists and religious leaders. They're the ring leaders in these acts

It seems to be a part of their culture and tradition, that is why nobody really cares, unless the victim is related to you. I tell you, if they can get all their victims from other parts of the country, then it is just a way of survival for all of them.

I'm finding this narratives difficult to believe 🤔

FalseProphet1:
I see witches and wizards taking over ondo state, I see the inhabitants running away to Ogun and Benin, I see ondo state becoming the witchcraft headquarters in Nigeria.

This I have seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEO44YKeKuw