Nigeria’s parliament has resolved to declare a national emergency on ritual killings.
The National Film and Video Censors Board has been directed to rise to the mandate of the agency as the clearing house for all movies produced in the country.
The parliament’s decision followed its consideration of a motion, titled “Need to Curb the Rising Trend of Ritual Killings in Nigeria,” presented at a plenary by the Deputy Minority Party leader Toby Okechukwu. “Ritual killing has become a predominant theme in most homemade movies, which if left unchecked, our younger generations may begin to view it as an acceptable norm,” Okechukwu said.
Okechukwu expressed concern that while the youth in other countries are embracing science and technology as a way of keeping pace with a dynamic world, some youths in Nigeria seemed stuck in the mistaken belief that sacrificing human blood was the surest route to wealth, safety, and protection.
The country’s booming film industry has a deep reverence for stories that portray the subject of rituals and black magic.
“Such cruel and barbaric acts should no longer be promoted in our society, given the demands of today’s world,” he said.
Adopting the motion, the House called on the executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board to rise to the mandate of the agency as the clearing house for all movies produced in the country.
It also mandated its Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to ensure compliance of the resolution and report back to the House within weeks.
