EVALUATION OF CULTURAL SACRAMENTAL PRACTICES AND THE PARADIGM SHIFT TO RITUAL KILLINGS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUTHS ‘GET-RICH-QUICK’ SYNDROME IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Cultural sacramental practices in the South-West has been marred by the quest of youths to acquire wealth without struggles thereby leading many to indulge in thoughtless killings for ritual purposes. Consequently, this study evaluates the paradigm shift in South-West culture marred by youths who indulged in thoughtless killings to ‘get-rich-quick’. The study is anchored on the Social Disorganization theory. The population cut across the six states in South-West Nigeria where a sample of 600 respondents was used. The study found that the Yoruba sacramental culture is a community base tradition while ritual killings by the youth is a self-centered quest. The study also found organ harvesting and hypnotizing victim as topmost dimensions of ritual killings. Factors responsible for ritual killings were found to include youths’ desperation for quick wealth, search for protection or spiritual defense and peer influence in their quest to wield power. The study discovered that ritual killings by youths is not sacrosanct in the South-West Nigeria. The study found disrespect for the sacredness of human life; erosion of moral values and glorification of deviant as implications of thoughtless killings by youths. The study found that sanctity could be attained by tightening of cultural standards that abhor ritual killing for money; diligent prosecution of perpetrators as deterrent measures; and by strengthening upbringing of children and socialization system in the society. The study among others recommends invoking traditional gods on anyone who desecrate the Yoruba land by ritual killing and death sentence by government laws.