A former Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, has condemned the gruesome killing of a young man allegedly involved in cultism, describing the incident as cruel, inhuman and barbaric.
Adejobi, reacting to a viral video showing the victim being brutally murdered, said that even if the deceased was a cultist, he did not deserve to be killed in such a horrific manner.
The victim was reportedly attacked and repeatedly macheted on the neck until he died, an incident that has attracted public attention and renewed concerns over cult-related violence.
Expressing shock over the video, Adejobi said, “If you see the video where the deceased was killed, you will feel bad and astonished. Though the deceased was alleged to be a cultist, he didn’t deserve to be killed or die in that manner. It’s cruel, inhuman and barbaric.”
He reiterated his longstanding position that cultism was evil, destructive and criminal, urging young people to stay away from secret cult groups and other criminal associations.
“Now the game is over. I have said it repeatedly that cultism is evil, destructive and criminal. Stay away from it, shun it,” he warned.
Adejobi also stressed that nobody had the right to take another person’s life unlawfully, regardless of the victim’s alleged involvement in criminal activities.
According to him, anyone suspected of committing an offence should be investigated and made to face the law rather than subjected to jungle justice or extrajudicial killing.
He added that the principle against unlawful killing was recognised by the law and religious teachings, warning that those who take lives unjustly would face consequences, whether legal, spiritual or otherwise.
“We will continue to do our best to ensure that justice prevails by all means. An offence is an offence. Once an offence or case has been established against one person, he or she will surely be made to face the music and face the full weight of the law,” he said.
Adejobi urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to make responsible choices, avoid violence and embrace peaceful living.
“Be wise, stay alive and do good,” he advised.
Cult-related violence remains a major security and public safety concern in several parts of Nigeria, particularly in some communities in the South-South and South-East, where rival groups have been linked to killings, kidnappings, armed attacks and other violent crimes.
Cult clashes are often associated with struggles for territorial control, retaliation, supremacy battles and criminal activities. Young people are frequently caught up in these violent confrontations, with some incidents resulting in the loss of innocent lives.
However, allegations of cult membership do not justify extrajudicial punishment. Under the Nigerian Constitution, every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. The right to life is also constitutionally protected, while anyone suspected of a crime is entitled to due process.
