Civil Society Organisations in Delta have called on the state Police Command to properly investigate the suspects that allegedly killed a female student of Delta State University, Abraka, Elozino Ogege.
The CSOs, under the umbrella name of Advance Forum on Sustainable Development, made the call during a peaceful protest in Asaba on Thursday.
The civil society organisations staged their protest at the police headquarters and office of the Secretary to the State Government.
The National Coordinator of the group, Ambassador Caroline Usikpedo, urged the command to also prosecute the suspects to serve as deterrent to other criminals in the state.
The 300 level student of Mass Communication hailed from Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.
Usikpedo further called on the police to audit the number of police escorts detailed to private individuals and investigate sources of wealth of such individuals.
She lamented that tertiary institutions and local communities now harboured criminals including ritual killers who also engaged in cybercrimes, known as “yahoo businesses”.
The national coordinator of the group called for the enactment of laws prohibiting cybercrimes (“yahoo businesses”).
She said: “Unwarranted quest for wealth and big cars has led the society under the siege of ritual killers who focus on women and girls.
“Women can no longer go in search of their livelihood due to fear of being abducted for money rituals and even campuses are no longer safe for the girl-child to learn.
“Criminality now abounds that even children sent from good home come back with ‘degrees’ in crimes and ritualism.”
Usikpedo further called on parents and guardians to reject the gifts of luxury cars and mansions that some unemployed children and wards brought to them.
The national coordinator said parents should insist on knowing the sources of the income of such children and wards.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police in Delta, Mohammed Mustapha, who commended the group for the peaceful protest and sensitisation, assured them that the police would properly investigate the suspects.
Mustapha, represented by Wale Abass, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said that the police would not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the suspects were prosecuted accordingly.
The commissioner said that the law enforcement agency had been interfacing with the family of the deceased to ensure that they got justice.
According to him, anybody who is involved in this wicked and criminal act, whether highly placed or not, will not go unpunished.
In his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Ovie Agas, said that the state had concluded plans to come up with a draft bill against “yahoo businesses” and ritual killings.
Agas said that the state was working towards activating existing laws that would help to strengthen the fight against “yahoo businesses” and ritual killings in the state.