The House of Representatives has called on the Inspector-General of Police IGP Olukayode Egbetokun and senior officers to urgently set up a crack team to unmask the identities of those behind the killing of young girls for ritual purposes in many parts of the country.
The House resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante, representing Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State on the matter on the floor of the House.
The lawmaker informed the House of the recent wave and sustained killings of our young girls who are mostly undergraduates by their supposed boyfriends for ritual purposes;
He also noted with dismay the recent murder of 20 years old Miss Justina Otuene an undergraduate student of the Department of Biochemistry, University
of Port Harcourt by Damian Okoligwe who is also an undergraduate student of the same university last week.
Other cases include the murder of Augusta Osedion, a final year student of Lead City University in July, 2023 by her boyfriend , Benjamin Best who goes by the nickname killaboi in Lagos; the murder of Miss Oghenefejiro Ochuko, a final year student of Ambrose Ali University who was equally killed in August, 2023 by her boyfriend, Victor Ochonogor in Benin and several other unreported cases;
He expressed worries noting that these killings have almost become a daily occurrence with several other reported cases of missing females with their whereabouts still unknown; Also worried that few of the reported missing victims are often found dead without traces of the perpetrators;
He said:”Disturbed that these killings take similar patterns of dismembering the bodies of the victims whereby their vital organs are removed;
“Further disturbed that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are young boys who might not be working alone but with strong cartels;
“Disturbed that our young girls have become an endangered specie”
While urging his colleagues to support the motio, he argued on of the need to protect our young girls and indeed every Nigerian as enshrined in section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Consequently, the House presided by the Speaker Hon.Tajudeen Abbas unanimously adopted the motion with a voice vote.
The House further observed one minute silence for Otuene, Augusta, Oghenefejiro and other victims of premeditated killings by these heartless gangs.
The House also called on the Inspector- General of Police to set up a crack team to conduct a holistic investigation with the sole aim of unmasking the cartels behind these killings and bring them to justice.
Lastly the House mandated the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance to the resolution.
