Group Demands Removal Of Traditional Rulers Over Ritual Killings

The Grassroots Governance Initiative, a non-governmental organization, Sunday, called on the government of Enugu State to sack traditional rulers and presidents general of communities with records of ritual killings and kidnapping.

The President of the group, Mr Amobi Johnson Okolo, in a press release, said the measure had become necessary following the recent kidnap and murder cases in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state where a 13-year-old girl was rescued from the claws of a ritualist, Mr Levi Obieze, who later fled the community to avoid arrest. The state government, in condemnation of the crimes, demolished Obieze’s house.

Okolo said, “Traditional rulers are the chief security officers of their respective communities. Presidents-general are the heads of the government of their communities. They know every nook and cranny of their areas. They must also know criminals within their domains. We believe they deliberately allow these wrongs to happen.

“They have access to all the state security apparatuses to arrest any untoward behaviour of persons and groups in their communities. They can report to the police or the supervising ministries. Their failure to act is behind the escalating crimes in Enugu State. If the criminals are exposed timely, they would have found the state unconducive to carry out their nefarious activities.”

Okolo called on Gov Peter Mbah to put the traditional rulers and the president’s general on their toes in the security of the state, adding that “they are partners in the security project of the state”.

In his words, “They are being paid, so I see no reason why they should not assist in securing their respective kingdoms. They and their cabinets are the best instruments in providing intelligence reports to the police. A situation where traditional rulers live in Enugu and their remote communities are being overrun by hoodlums is unacceptable. Let Mbah use one of them as the scape goat, and others will be more responsible.”

Recall that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Thursday, arrested the Enugu ritualist, Obi Levi Obieze, also known as Levi Obu Onyeka, at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Badagry-Seme Road in Lagos while attempting to flee the country on a motorcycle.

Obieze, a resident of Umuojor village in Isiagu community, Ezeagu LGA, was earlier declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force after the kidnapped13-year-old girl was located in his house. The locals who rescued the girl uncovered two decomposing bodies, including that of a pregnant woman, in a pit in the native doctor’s compound.

Group Demands Removal Of Traditional Rulers Over Ritual Killings is first published on The Whistler Newspaper