Civil Society Organizations Advocate For A Law Prohibiting Yahoo-Yahoo Business, Ritualism In Nigeria

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders in Delta state has called on the state and Federal government to as a matter of urgency enact a law prohibiting Yahoo-Yahoo business and ritualism of all sorts in Delta State and Nigeria at large.

These where parts of “Charter of demands” made by the groups on Thursday, November 29, 2018 as they walked through major roads in Asaba, the state capital protesting against the gruesome murder of Miss Elozino Joshuana Ogege, a 300 level mass communication student of Delta state University (DELSU).

The groups dressed on branded black T-shirt with Elozino’s picture inscribed, “No To Yahoo Ritual Killings, Justice 4 Miss Elozino Ogege Now” displaying various banners and placards with different write ups such as,” End Gender-Based Violence In Our Institutions #Justice, University Campus Not Ritual Campus #Justice, Operation Flush Out Yahoo-Yahoo Business & Stop Murder Of Our Girl Child In Schools: We Demand Justice” among others walked from Ministry of Women Affairs, Social and Development Services, stormed the Delta state police command headquarters before going to the Office of the Secretary to the state government.

Speaking on behalf of the CSOs and other stakeholders, Ambassador Caroline Usikpedo called on the Commissioner of Police, Delta state command and all other authorities concerned to quickly conclude their investigation, and prosecute all the culprits involved in the gruesome murder of Elozino to serve as deterrents to others in the evil trade.

They called on the Commissioner of Police to carry out an audit of number of Police escorts detailed out to private individuals and investigate the sources of their wealth, Ambassador Usikpedo called on parents and guardians to reject the gifts of the luxury cars and mansions that their unemployed wards brings to them without any known source of income.

Addressing the groups at the state Police command headquarters where the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP in charge of investigation, Wale Abba who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner of Police Muhammad Mustapha maintained that, now that all the killers of Elozino had been caught the police would now arraign them in court to face the consequences of their actions.

Civil Society Organizations Protesting Ritual Killing of Miss Elozino Ogege in Asaba led by Ambassador Caroline Usikpedo

He however appealed for the collaboration of other CSOs and individuals in the society to give intelligence information to the police to enable them nip crime in the bud.

At the Office of the Secretary to the state government SSG, Ovie Festus Agas disclosed that, from the state security council meeting held, the state government directed that the police must do everything within its powers to ensuring that the culprits are brought to book.

Mr Agas also explained that he has directed the state Attorney General and the Commissioner for Justice to come up with a draft bill to strengthen government hands in ensuring that the culprits are easily brought to book.

He pointed out that the state government would put in place institutional and legal frame work to address these challenges, stressing that those existing laws at the shelve, would be reactivated for the good of Deltans.

He commended the groups for their peaceful demonstration and urged all hands to be on deck to ensure that Elozino’s killers are made to face the full wrath of the law.