Hymar Idibie, a writer and content creator opined that art imitates life, and I wholeheartedly concur.

I don't know why anytime there's a news about ritual killings or the news of the arrest of someone who was caught with human parts, people immediately start condemning Nollywood.

People believe that ritual killings are on the rise because Nollywood has consistently portrayed and glossed over the concept of money rituals in their films. People seem to believe that the perpetrators of money rituals get the idea from watching Nollywood. But that's not only completely false, it is simply cultural denial and an unwillingness to acknowledge that those things have always been part of us. Ritual killings in Nigeria( and some parts of Africa) is not a cause and effect kind of thing. It is a cultural thing. I will expound further.

Growing up, we were accustomed to certain traditional beliefs. We were regaled with how during some festivals, it was forbidden for us to be outside at certain hours of the night, the punishment for disobeying such was death. We were familiar with cultures where when a king dies, rituals had to be performed that involved sacrificing human beings. We were familiar with cultures where a slave would have to be buried along with the king upon the king's death.

Several books by the writers in the AWS described cultures where people from neighbouring villages were kidnapped by 'headhunters' to be executed as human sacrifices during ceremonies. Especially in Elechi Amadi's 'The Great Ponds ' There was no Nollywood then. The Otokoto ritual killings of 1996 made nationwide papers. Same with the Okija shrine bust. And while the Okija shrine came into prominence in the 2000s, it had obviously been in operation way before that. The discovery of the coffin of Ezego, a businessman dubbed the king of money, who was rumoured to have made his money via dubious cum diabolical means, in the Okija shrine raid added to the speculation that the shrine was the site of dark and diabolic things.

Even in the folktales we were told as children, element of human ritual still found their way inside;

Who remembers the story of the monkey who fooled the lion who wanted to use his heart as a sacrifice to save his mother by lying that he always left his heart on top of the palm tree?

Who remembers the myth of the money producing mats?

Nollywood didn't inspire ritual killings, on the contrary, ritual killings inspired Nollywood.

The only thing you can accuse Nollywood of is that they amplified what was already in existence the same way social media amplified the issue of racism in America.

Like Will Smith famously said: "racism isn't getting worse, it is getting filmed."

It is the same thing with ritual killings today. They are not getting worse, we just have phones to record and social media to spread and WhatsApp BCs sensationalize the news as they happen.

The people who engage in ritual killings, whether for money ritual or for luck or favour don't do so because they watched one Nollywood feem featuring Kanayo O. Kanayo, they do so because it is a common belief in the society they grew up in. The same society that believes that wearing blue eyes beads can make someone give you money or bathing with a particular soap can increase your chances of finding a husband. The same society that believes that locking a padlock and keeping it in a calabash with his picture can make a man forever faithful to a woman. The same society that believes that muttering incantations into a white handkerchief and tapping someone with it can turn them into instant robots who will do whatever you wish.

That's the same society that believes human blood, human head, human body parts can be used as a sacrifice to become wealthy.The same society where parents now encourage their children to join yahoo. Where parents look the other way when their 17 year old son buys a Benz. Where parents put pressure on their children to get rich, citing other people's kids, citing "Iya Nuru son wey you senior get 2 Benz".

And that's the society that inspires Nollywood to make the kind of movies they make.

You can accuse Nollywood of being unimaginative, but you can't accuse them of not paying attention.

Nollywood, like true art, simply holds a mirror up. And of course, not everybody will like what they see when they look in the mirror. Doesn't mean the mirror is the problem. Smashing the mirror does not mean the scars on your face will go away. It does not mean your stomach will suddenly become flat.

The mirror is not your problem. The mirror is simply telling you there's a problem.

You can't stand in front of the mirror and try to force it to show you what you want to see. That's not how mirrors work.

https://web.facebook.com/hymardavid?__cft__

Ritual killings exists before Nollywood yes.
But Nollywood de broadcast am.

Just like porn has been available since but xvideo website broadcasts it.

But then apart from all that, how come people tend to turn a bling eye to the main cause of ritual killing - religion?

If you want ritual killings to become a thing of the past in years to come then we need to scrap religion from our society.

Come to think of it, the word 'scarifice' has a religious background which involves the termination of a life (plant or animal) to the 'source of life'

Superstition & religion is ruthlessly dealing with our development in Africa. And Africa will always remain backward if religion is given front seat before science

Ishilove:
Hymar Idibie insists that art imitates life, and I wholeheartedly concur.

https://web.facebook.com/hymardavid?__cft__

So do I. In real life and some, if not most religion in the world usually speak of the chosen one. In Christianity it is Jesus, in Islam it is Mohammed etc... Hollywood key into this and voila, in Matrix, it is Neo, in The Book of Eli, it is Eli, in Dune it is... I know you haven't watched it yet so lemme not spoil it for you.

CandyOps:
Ritual killings exists before Nollywood yes.
But Nollywood de broadcast am.

Just like porn has been available since but xvideo website broadcasts it.

But then apart from all that, how come people tend to turn a bling eye to the main cause of ritual killing - religion?

If you want ritual killings to become a thing of the past in years to come then we need to scrap religion from our society.

Come to think of it, the word 'scarifice' has a religious background which involves the termination of a life (plant or animal) to the 'source of life'

Superstition & religion is ruthlessly dealing with our development in Africa. And Africa will always remain backward if religion is given front seat before science

How is Nollywood broadcasting anything?

There is no logical argument to support that Nollywood is the reason for your perceived increase in ritualism.

I have never seen anyone who committed ritual saying it is because he watched Kanayo O. Kanayo make money from the act in some Nollywood movie. Never.

The same Nollywood also shows that people who commit such heinous acts almost always end up dead or mad, or some truly tragic thing occurs to them. Do those people not watch till the end of the movie?

At what point do we begin to talk about how society glorifies wealth above all things? All the Nigerian musicians that make songs to glorify fraudsters and the likes, when do we mention their own impact? All the HypeMen in clubs that say "Dorime no be for civil servants", when do we call them out?

When do we call out those who shout down people who ask for the source of wealth? All those who say, "Una no ask where the poverty come from when he poor, why you wan know the source of the wealth?" When do we call them out?

When do we condemn the comparison syndrome that has parents putting unnecessary pressure on their kids because "...my colleague's son just bought her a car...."? When do we speak on all of that undue pressure society heaps upon young people to achieve immediate wealth?

Why do we think an entity as small as Nollywood is to blame for a virus so massive? When will we blame family structures, peer pressure, and the ACTUAL causes of ritualism?

safarigirl:


How is Nollywood broadcasting anything?

There is no logical argument to support that Nollywood is the reason for your perceived increase in ritualism.

I have never seen anyone who committed ritual saying it is because he watched Kanayo O. Kanayo make money from the act in some Nollywood movie. Never.

Why do we think an entity as small as Nollywood is to blame for a virus so massive? When will we blame family structures, peer pressure, and the ACTUAL causes of ritualism?

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/07/stop-asking-me-where-to-do-money-rituals-actor-yul-edochie-pleads/amp/

I'll give you a B+ for the effort. But then don't play dumb just to score a cheap point.

Besides Nollywood IS NOT a small entity like you make it seem as it grosses over $490million annually. In fact, it is actually the world's 3rd biggest movie industry. Only coming behind Hollywood & Bollywood.

https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/may-2013/nigeria%E2%80%99s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine#:~:text=The%20Nigerian%20film%20industry%2C%20also,an%20impressive%20%24590%20million%20annually.

You seem not to understand the cause & effect of the kind of contents reeled out by the Nigerian movie industry on it's consumers.

And for some reasons you completely ignored the other points I raised which make me believe you may be part of the movie industry

You people would leave the crux of the matter that has rampage the land to drag on Nollywood!

Ritual is not getting worse, it is getting filmed!!!

are u saying you all belioeved that Google sh.i.t story those boys were telling about learning how to behead someone for rituals online from google?

if u all are serious at all, demand to know the priest who instructed that gore event to happen and as well the BIG MAN who may have ordered a sacrifice be made for his/her selfish ambitions.

i still do not beleive those 4 fellas acted in isolation !

an identity of someone is been protected!
i would not accept that 4 people would be found with a fresh human head and dismembered corpse still flowing with red blood and nothing, not even a mark from an irate mob is found on their body,,,,, please tell me when Nigeria stopped jungle justice?

the fact you don't believe in ritual doesn't make it farce
Spirit exist
Witches exist
Process of summoning them is called ritual
A process of summoning wealth is called money ritual
Lazy person don't engage in ritual
You have to have a business or job

The same way we have Nollywood giving us Blood money movie...



is the same way we watch Hollyhood Horror movie so if you become a monster will you start blaming Hollywood...

They're just looking for excuses..

People are desperate this days that's just it...

Person wey don take drug smoke different joint might start reasoning anyhow...

If you've stayed in Ghana , Togo before or use one of doz free to air wen u tune in to dere channel u will see Babalawo advertising live on your TV screen and still blood money no dey rampant for dere is because dey are not desperate over dere...

The rate of desperation in Nigeria is so high...


so stop looking for who to blame for all this shiit that's happening..

There's a new craze to make it or fake it. And the new trend of Yahoo Boys and their show offs have made young lazy ppl more desperate for riches

It's cultural thing you say?
I don't know your state of origin, but if money ritual is a cultural thing there - don't term it as a culture for the rest of us.
In all of your weak defense of Nollywood, you didn't take a single paragraph to condemn this heinous act. You culpable!

Nollywood movies encourage the devilish act

Okay bro keep talking
Have got you

interesting

Even tho Nollywood act movies on money rituals... Atleast they let viewers understand the aftermath has lots of consequences

Gibberish!

Does this write up erase the fact that entertainment is the root cause of of social menaces?

When you see China censoring their social media and entertainment industry, it’s is because they know what influence it can create.

And America where drill is the order of the day, and romance is a norm, the guns shots and teenage pregnancies is almost becoming a norm.

The entertainment industry is a major cause. That cannot be erased

Nollywood is the cause of it though my only question is that, it’s normally Eastern movies that showcases money rituals but why then is it very rampant in the southwest where they have Yoruba movies?

I support a ban on movies that promote rituals and drug trafficking.

Then when they make it the way they spend the money sends vibes down to anybody watching it, they use convoid to go to the market place use pump action to announce their entrance red carpet entrance then start spraying money like it’s tissue paper when it’s impossible.

Hollywood most time shows movies where boys push drugs, shoot and hunt people down, how many of their Youths practice 007 in reality. Although i rather sit on an electric chair than watch nollywood, theres 0 correlation between Nollywood and ritualism in Nigeria

Ritual killings has always been existing in Nigeria but Nollywood is the reason it has escalated to such an alarming rate in the society.

Most non-Nigerians who watch Nollywood see an average Nigerian as a ritualist. When I was in Lagos, most foreigners are always afraid and suspicious of Nigerians because of what they watch on Nollywood.

I’ll share what I wrote earlier.

My opinion to all these rubbish is simple you see any parents/society who worship money over hardwork and humanity will suffer allot of killings like this.

We in Nigeria use big English to give meanings to a thief. For examples:-

Instead of us to say: you see that uncle, he’s a thief he’s stealing peoples money. They would say that guy is a yahoo boy

You see that house, efcc came to sealed it off because the owner of the house is a thief. Nigerians will say that house is sealed off because the owner laundered the money .

You see that guy walking around, he’s always stealing peoples properties and killing peoples dreams faster than anything. Naija will put it in another dimension that the guy is scamming people.

Is not that English is bad, but the whole naija society accepted this rubbish called yahoo/ritual and so on.

Some parent nowadays doesn’t give a fck where their kids got a pen but during our time(s) they don’t born you to bring home ordinary eraser that’s not yours.

Teenagers displaying iPhone 12/13 all around the neighborhoods but the parents are happy that their kids have join gangs of yahoo(thief)

Nollywood pack stack illiterate producers/film makers all they fckkng understand is healings/visiting babalawo up and down for everything. Well visiting babalawo is not a bad thing but does that really necessary in these times and period of rampant yahoo+

A movie that glorify money ritual that’s using body parts are only giving hope to desperate idiot and that the person actually makes money from it, the desperate viewer doesn’t care if the guy later die in movie. All what desperate people are after is that so far the ritualist makes money from it he’ll do it.

Oh Nigeria, a society that accepted yahoo in every industry be it music/movie /religious and all

A country whose religious leaders doesn’t give a bleep of preaching humanity but all they care is give to church and mosques.

I blame almost everybody because when you ask 7 in 10 out of southwestern neighborhoods brothers and sisters to point you someone into fraud, you’ll be amazed to see that it’s almost amongst the family of everyone.

I blame all the south west leaders because majority of them are shallow minded too thinking of money ritual being real.

What’s the solution: let’s start speaking out and use one voice to force this rubbish to stop. Let there be awareness in government schools/neighborhoods/movie industry/skit makers/music industry/religious gatherings that money ritual doesn’t work. It as never work, it’ll never work and bring public executions judgement for these set of barbaric human beings.

Hard-work pays continue hustling don’t get carried away God will be us all.

I weep for this country

I started watching legend of the seeker since wen I was +18
I remember great zezucus zuzarander I have always wanted to be a great wizard
I did not succeed from watching that movie then I started again with Merlin always wanted to become a great magician like Merlin but no way

Thank God I never took Nigerian movies serious,

I just saw it like a lesson to be learnt

Ritual killing existed before Nollywood,but na Nollywood escalate am.

Atheist write-up

CandyOps:
Ritual killings exists before Nollywood yes.
But Nollywood de broadcast am.

Just like porn has been available since but xvideo website broadcasts it.

But then apart from all that, how come people tend to turn a bling eye to the main cause of ritual killing - religion?

If you want ritual killings to become a thing of the past in years to come then we need to scrap religion from our society.

Come to think of it, the word 'scarifice' has a religious background which involves the termination of a life (plant or animal) to the 'source of life'

Superstition & religion is ruthlessly dealing with our development in Africa. And Africa will always remain backward if religion is given front seat before science

Especially Yul Edochie and that Zubby Michael Should be Ban Because their Movies and Roles Have No Moral Lesson, , They Promote Ritual Killing , Robbery, Kidnapping, Violence, Cultism ,etc

CandyOps:
Ritual killings exists before Nollywood yes.
But Nollywood de broadcast am.

Just like porn has been available since but xvideo website broadcasts it.

But then apart from all that, how come people tend to turn a bling eye to the main cause of ritual killing - religion?

If you want ritual killings to become a thing of the past in years to come then we need to scrap religion from our society.

Come to think of it, the word 'scarifice' has a religious background which involves the termination of a life (plant or animal) to the 'source of life'

Superstition & religion is ruthlessly dealing with our development in Africa. And Africa will always remain backward if religion is given front seat before science

Your first paragraph, you just summarized what op wrote

Ok

Nollywood is the first cause and exposure if money ritual to kids and youths, they glamouralize get quick rich schemes, media also glamouralize criminality and get rich quick schemes, and people making money off bloody criminal ways. Media is key in influencing kids and youths. Kids follow what they see, no discernment.

Nollywood must show the beauty of Nigeria, beauty of enterprise,.culture and glory in our movies, not always about vodoo.