Hookup Culture Tied To Missing Girls’ Cases, Ritual Killings – Police
The Nigerian Police Force has attributed a significant number of cases involving missing young women to ritual practices closely tied to the rising hookup culture in Nigeria.
Omolola Odutola, the Public Relations Officer for the Ogun State Command, discussed this issue on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme.
Highlighting the impact of hookup culture on youth values, she noted that women aged 20 to 32 are the most vulnerable.
“This particular menace is very serious and I would like a lot of young people to understand the danger in the hookup culture. Today, we have lots of reports of missing persons. By the time we start an investigation, not less than 10 young girls and ladies go missing daily.
“In-depth investigations also reveal that those cases are not by accidents. Most of them are connected to hookup channels and apps. They fall victim to strangers who causally invite them to unknown places, and eventually fall victim to being used for ritual purposes.
“Most cases of missing girls and ritual killings occurring in Ogun State of recent, I would like to say that it is not new. But as much as possible, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police has been able to tame these ugly incidents.”
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She further explained, “It stems from the ugly perspective of young persons who believe that ritual killing could enrich them. We have some of these unscrupulous elements who deceive young people to get human skulls or human body parts, which they use for some kind of concoction to get them rich.
“That is why we are having advocacy and sensitization, to enlighten young persons to make them understand that engaging in ritual killings does not in any way make them rich,” she said.
She also stated that the police command is collaborating closely with the State Women Affairs Commission to tackle and curb the menace.
She added, “The Ogun State government, particularly the Women Affairs Commission works in tandem with the police command by providing counselling sessions.
“Apart from that, whenever we have cases such as this if per adventure the girls escape the rituals, we also have a proper way of helping them go through the distress of mental health and anxiety they might have felt during the incident.
“The hookup culture is prevalent among young girls between the ages of 20 to about 32 years. The reason they get involved in this menace is because they feel they don’t get enough from their parents, and then the get-rich syndrome.”
Hookup culture, which refers to casual sexual relationships like one-night stands, has been debated for its effects on youth.
While some argue it empowers individuals, others criticize its impact on relationships and societal values.
This culture often highlights double standards, with women judged more harshly than men for casual encounters, facing derogatory labels such as “hoe,” while men are often praised.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
