The implication of ritualism on moral development of Nigerian youths

The implication of ritualism on moral development of Nigerian youths

Chapter One

Preface

Background of the study

Moral education is an issue that’s presently being extensively bandied as a result of the moral degeneration of youths. The Nigerian society particularly is now in serious extremity for the high position of immorality that prevails in our society executed by Youth. moment so numerous adolescent and grown-ups are tardy and divided incharacter.These range from immoral conditioning similar as rape, sexual violence, and counterculturist behaviours to dire felonious conditioning similar as man- robbery, hijacking , mortal immolation, murder, fortified thievery, vandalization, and a host of others. Within the space of the last many times, Nigeria has recorded an increase in ritual payoff.

Ritual payoff is a common miracle in Nigerian diurnal life. It has come a regular event when hundreds of Nigerians lost their lives to ritual killers or what Nwakanma, & Abu,( 2020) called, “ Head nimrods. ” The ritual killers go about in hunt of mortal corridor – heads, guts, speeches, and coitus organs – as demanded by witch croakers , jinx preachers, traditional drug men or women and/ or occultists who bear similar for their dubious offerings or for the medication of varied magical portions( Igwe, 2010). In diurnal journals and magazines, numerous further Nigerians than ever ahead are declared missing, just as the prevalence of ritual killings attains worrisome confines. Yet the authorities appear helpless( Aiyetan, 2003).

In the contemporary Nigeria, ritual payoff has taken new dimension. Tell magazines describe the scene as the “ Reign of the Ritualists ”( Elesho2004). numerous different means are used to abduct people with evil intentions; especially for rituals. numerous of those abducted for similar purposes are long gone but there are a lucky many who actually live to tell the story of their encountered with the ritualists. Some of the kidnappers caught with their victims some time dead or partial-dead also witnessed of their dubious acts( Aiyetan, 2003). There are all feathers of stories of colorful ways of hijacking ; some people faded on picking or touching some particulars set as trap by ritualists or kidnappers. It seems egregious in Nigeria that ritual killers are more current at certain seasons in the time – like the weeks leading to Christmas and during some monthly pilgrimages. It’s generally believed that people engage in immolation of mortal beings to get plutocrat to spend at similar gleeful ages. There are some known cases of people who killed their women , misters, maters or indeed their children for plutocrat making rituals( Aiyetan, 2003).

specially, Yahoo plus rituals is the rearmost on board which is an advanced development to that of normal Yahoo – Yahoo crime. utmost yahoo plus boys don’t need to defraud or coat anyone in order to have plutocrat. In utmost cases, they just need to have coitus with girls in order to take their fortune and make them look useless or failed suddenly later. Yahoo ritualists look for ladies ‟ undergarments for ritual. For the fear of Yahoo Boys, people in some corridor of the country no longer hang their clothes on ropes outside in order not to fall victim of Yahoo ritualists( Ritualists, 2018).

According to Aghawenu( 202), the crazy desire cuts across all geographical boundaries and social strata and the axes Nigerians can go in their shot to sate their appetite for cheap wealth and kinds of life are unknown which is deterimental to the moral development of these youths.

Statement of the problem

Inculcation of morality is the introductory task of socialization process in every culture which includes the communication of moral standard, shaping and administering the practice of “ good ” behaviours in the development child. still, moral issues have been neglected in the present time which redounded into serious moral degeneration. It could be argued that the neglect of moral education is responsible for the rampant cases of fortified thievery, unwanted gravidity, child abandonment, examination malpractice, cultism, medicine trafficking, embezzlement of public fund, corruption, deceitfulness etc. This negligence could be part of the explanation for the diseases, extremity and anxiety that are so common in our society.

With these intermittent frequentness of ritual killings in the country, one is forced to ask why similar brutal and barbaric act persists in malignancy of the position of civilization and globalization. colorful explanations have been offered by scholars and numerous social scientists. While some condemn the problem on the profitable conditions in the country especially as ritual killings increase in ages of profitable difficulty; others argue that traditional beliefs in fetish and rituals have percolated the twenty-first century. Salisbury( 2012) noted that those who exercise immolation and ritual killings believe them to be acts of spiritual bastion. provocations to carry out these acts include the use of mortal body corridor for medicinal purposes and the belief that mortal body corridor retain supernatural powers that bring substance and protection. In Uganda, for case, inquiries have shown that mortal immolation is generally done by numerous fat persons in an trouble to expand their fortunes. In Swaziland and Liberia, politicians allegedly commission ritual killings to ameliorate their odds in choices( Igwe, 2010).

In Nigeria, numerous people still believe that charms and ritual offerings can fortify them spiritually, enhance their fortunes in business and during choices, or cover them from detriment, complaint, poverty, accident, death or destruction. These beliefs have been linked to further encourage some youth to share in ritual murders to assuage divinities, supplicate for supernatural favours, shield off mischance or produce mystical wealth hence venturing their moral development. therefore it’s agianst this background that this study seeks to examine the recrimination of ritualism on moral development of Nigeria Youth.

Ideal Of The Study

The broad thing of this study borders on the recrimination of ritualism on moral development of Nigeria Youth. Specifically the study concentrated on the following precise objects

To determine the nature of ritual killings eternalized by Nigeria Youth.

ii. To ascertain the purpose of youth engagement in ritualism.

iii. To probe whether youth involvement in ritualism undermine their moral development.

iv. To establish whether high rate of ritualism contributes to moral degeneration in Nigeria Society.

Exploration Thesis

HO1 Youth involvement in ritualism doesn’t undermine their moral development.

HO2 High rate of ritualism contributes to moral degeneration in Nigeria Society

Significance of the Study

The result of the study will be of applicability to policy makers, Nigeria Youths and religious bodies. To policy makers, findings of the study will enlighten policy makers on the need to establish guiding principles to dock ritual payoff and establish discipline for those caught in this devilish act. To government, the study will also emphasize on the need to introduce poverty relief program, employment openings and support of entrepreneur as this will go a long way in reducing felonious geste among unemployed youths. further the study will emphasize the need for to consolidate tutoring of moral education in seminaries, universities and as well encourage preceptors speakers that educate moral education to be part model for our youths among others as this will reduce the rate of ritualism in Nigeria. Empirically, the study will add to the body of being literature on ritualism as serve as reference material to scholars and pupil who wishes to conduct farther studies in affiliated field.

Compass Of The Study

The compass of this study borders on the recrimination of ritualism on moral development of Nigeria Youth. The study will further bandy the nature and purpose for ritual killings eternalized by Nigeria Youth. It’ll probe if youths ’ involvement in ritualism undermine their moral development and if high rate of ritualism contributes to moral degeneration in Nigeria Society. The study is still demarcated to South- East region with reference to Owerri Municipal, Imo State.

Limitation of the Study

Like in every mortal bid, the experimenters encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the deficiency of literature on recrimination of ritualism on moral development of Nigeria Youth. converse. therefore important time and association was needed in sourcing for the applicable accoutrements , literature, or information and in the process of data collection. Also the study is limited in period as the study covered only South East region precisely owerri Municipal. thus findings of this study can not be used for conception for other regions or State which creates a gap for farther studies.

Description Of Terms

Ritualism Also known as Ritual killings is a violent and extreme type of felonious homicide in which vital organs of the victim are gutted by the executioners for use in “ sacred ” solemnities.

Moral development Moral development focuses on the emergence, change, and understanding of morality from immaturity through majority. Morality develops across a continuance and is told by an existent’s gests and geste when faced with moral issues through different ages of physical and cognitive development.

Moral degeneration This means a gross reduction in the moral values in a particular society. It appears to be a fall’ in the moral standard of the society and a deterioration or a collapse in upholding our societal values, beliefs, morals and ethical norms.

Reference

Aghawenu g( 2020) A Socio-Ethical Appraisal of Ritual Killings in Nigeria

Aiyetan,D.( 2003, December 29). Reign of the Ritualists. Tell,p. 25

Elesho,R.a.( 2004, August 23). bloody Rituals. The News,p. 18.

Igwe, L( 2004), Ritual Killing and Pseudoscience in Nigeria. Skeptical missions. Volume 14( 2). penetrated 29th January 2015 at3.59 pm

Igwe, L( 2010), Ritual payoff and mortal immolation in Africa. transnational Humanist and Ethical Union. African Commission on Human and People’s rights 48th Session November 10- 24, Banjul, The Gambia.

Nwakanma, Emmanuel & Abu, Owapiriba.( 2020). Cultural Issues In Violence Against Women And Ritual Killings In Nigeria Assessing The Counteraccusations For Sustainable Development. 18. 15447- 15457.

Ritualists,Y.( 2018, 12 2). https//www.vanguardngr.com. recaptured 9 15, 2019, from https//www.vanguardngr.com ›2018/12 › fear- of- ritualists- in- delta- we- besmear- our- pants

Salisbury, S( 2012) The Practice of Ritual Killings and Human Sacrifice in Africa. mortal Rights detail. penetrated 15th May, 2016 from http//hrbrief.org/2012/09/the-practice-of-ritual-killings-and-human-sacrifice-in-africa/ Si