EZEANI RITUAL SAGA AND THE REIGN OF BLOOD MONEY

By Olisemeka Obeche

Account of how a student of Community Secondary School, Umana Ndi-Agu writing her Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE ended up dead inside the horror underground pit of a ritualistic native doctor, Eze-Ani is still generating ripples on social media.

Those who played part in the kidnapp and gruesome murder of this young lady and other victims of this barbaric campaign by this innocent-looking man popularly known as E DEY PLAY E DEY Show, have started confessing.

By the time full details of this orgy of bloody ritual campaign is laid bare, and those who played part in it unravelled, our eyes will begin to clear small small.

We are responsible for creating these demons. There are many Ezeanis in our villages, communities and neighbohoods, people we know that live ostentatious lifestyles, spray money on social events, without evidence of decent means of livelihood.

Make no mistake about this. The rise of ritual murders in Nigeria is increasingly linked to the toxic combination of greed and the worship of wealthy individuals, which has created a dangerous cultural obsession with quick wealth.

In a society where economic hardship is widespread and financial success is often glorified without scrutiny, many people—especially the youth—are lured by the false promise that ritual killings can bring instant riches.

This belief is fueled by sensational stories of wealthy individuals allegedly gaining their fortunes through dark spiritual means, reinforcing the dangerous myth that human sacrifice is a shortcut to prosperity.

Increasingly, we have a new generation who believes in generating wealth through all sorts of ritual sacrifices, most of them requiring different parts of human bodies or burying someone alive, as was the case in this Ezeani saga. The implication of this trend will be devastating to our society as hardwork, excellence and creativity is relegated to the background.

Methinks, glorification of affluent figures, regardless of their wealth’s origins, further normalizes this mindset, making vulnerable individuals more susceptible to the influence of fraudsters and fake spiritualists who exploit their desperation.

Moreover, the societal reverence for wealth has eroded moral values, leading some to view ritual murder as an acceptable means to achieve financial success.
Many Nigerians, particularly in impoverished communities, grow up idolizing wealthy elites, assuming their success must be tied to supernatural favor—even if obtained through sinister methods.
This perception is amplified by Nollywood movies and social media, which often sensationalize occultic wealth rituals, indirectly validating the practice.
Religious and traditional leaders sometimes contribute to the problem by promoting prosperity theology or endorsing dubious spiritual solutions for wealth.
As a result, the desperation to escape poverty, combined with a culture that prioritizes material success over ethics, has created an environment where ritual killings thrive, with human lives being sacrificed in the pursuit of ill-gotten riches.
Now is time for us sit back and reflect on this malaise and begin to take steps to tackle it. When we see those guys carrying money in their purse and spraying them lavishly, let’s not be too quick in praising them to high heavens, giving them Chieftaincy titles or awards.
Let’s first of all investigate their source(s) of wealth. If we unite and in holding people who return to town to show off their wealth, accountable, they will think twice about what they do.
It’s because people like Ezeani Umumba Ndiagu and his group usually steal the show that empower them to continue in their devilish ritual wealth acquisition. Incidentally, they hardly make any meaningful contributions in the community or society. They only use their monies to create chaos and sow seed of greed in the soul of people who lust for money without credible means of actualizing that.