Appraisal of Capitalism as the Bane of Ritual Killings in Nigeria

In recent times there has been an upsurge in ritual activities in Nigeria. Most of these rituals are related to the desire for sudden wealth. These activities have led to, or are alleged to have been responsible for, sudden deaths, removal of human body parts, sudden disappearance of many and the recent activities of Yahoo and Yahoo Plus. It has created a lot of tension and insecurity in the land. Those with much wealth without any visible means of living are easily suspected to be money ritualists. However, a new trend is what the research resonates as „cultural euthanasia‟. This is a trend whereby young persons who must have experienced the pain, suffering and stress of poverty decide to engage in ritual activities with a pledge to be made rich between 10 and 15 years, and then they can die. In its methodology, it explored both the primary and secondary sources. In its theoretical framework, it adopted the functionalist theory as well as the ethical theory. The study therefore attributes the rush into this activity to the much value placed on the capitalist system as against the communal life of the Africans, and the reinvigoration of the African life is then seen as the solution to these challenges.

Keywords: rituals, wealth, contemporary, cultural euthanasia