BREAKING: Enugu Government Moves to Curb Ritual Killings, Banditry, and Kidnapping with Tough New Law

Enugu, Nigeria – June 4, 2025

The Enugu State Government has taken a bold legislative step to combat rising criminal activities across the state, particularly targeting illicit spiritual practices, ritual killings, forest-based banditry, and kidnapping.

Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah on Tuesday transmitted an Executive Bill titled “Maintenance of Internal Security, Vigilance and Order” to the Enugu State House of Assembly. The comprehensive bill seeks to regulate the activities of native doctors, herbalists, spiritualists, and related practitioners, while introducing severe penalties for those involved in money rituals, criminal charms, and the illegal use of land and property for unlawful acts.

Spiritual Services Now to Be Regulated

According to Section 3(1) of the proposed bill, “Every person who engages in the practice or rendering of spiritual services within the state shall be registered with a designated ministry, department, or agency (MDA) of the state.” Practicing without registration will attract penalties ranging from ₦1 million to ₦5 million or two years’ imprisonment, or both.

Under Section 15, any person who engages in money rituals (locally known as okite) or administers charms to aid in criminal activities — including invincibility charms (known as odeshi) — faces six years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦5 million, or both. Those falsely claiming supernatural powers for personal gain risk three years in prison or a ₦3 million fine.

Importantly, the bill shifts the burden of proof to individuals who claim mystical abilities, requiring them to demonstrate the legitimacy of their supernatural powers during investigations.

Crackdown on Ritual Killings and Use of Religious Places for Crime

The bill goes further to criminalize the use of any religious or spiritual location for illegal activities. Section 16 prescribes a six-year jail term or ₦5 million fine for any person who allows or facilitates the use of such places for crime.

Even more severe is Section 17, which imposes 20 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine on anyone who participates in or facilitates rituals involving human parts.

No Room for Forest Hideouts

Addressing the issue of banditry and kidnapping, the bill stipulates that any individual found camping in bushes or forests without lawful justification and under suspicious circumstances shall be arrested and handed over to security agencies.

Section 13 specifically targets unauthorized forest dwellers, while Section 14 targets landowners who knowingly permit their property — in forests or elsewhere — to be used for criminal activities. The penalty? 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine.

Property owners who allow unauthorized persons (non-security agents) to camp or settle on their land — except for agricultural purposes — face two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine. Failure to report such activities also carries the same penalty.

Properties used in violation of the law will be forfeited to the state government, as will proceeds from theft, robbery, and kidnapping if not claimed by verified lawful owners within a reasonable period.

Mandatory Registration for Security Outfits and Monitoring of Tenants, Guests

The proposed law also mandates that private security outfits operating in the state must register with the government and disclose the identities of their armed operatives. Similarly, town union presidents-general must submit monthly security reports to the local government councils.

Landlords, estate managers, and hotel operators are also required to verify and transmit the identities, occupations, and contact details of their tenants or guests to the relevant authorities. Hotels and lodging facilities are mandated to install surveillance cameras and submit activity records to security agencies. Failure to comply will attract fines of ₦500,000 to ₦1 million depending on the nature of the property.

A New Security Era for Enugu State

The proposed legislation signals Governor Mbah’s firm resolve to tackle crime with a holistic and proactive approach, combining regulatory control, community accountability, and legal enforcement. If passed, the law is expected to significantly enhance internal security, discourage criminal rituals, and dismantle hideouts used for illicit activities across Enugu State.