Gone too soon: Sex workers hold candlelight procession for colleague killed by suspected ritualists

Yesternight, there was mild drama in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as scores of commercial sex workers staged a candlelight procession in honor of their colleagues, who were allegedly killed by suspected ritualists, over the weekend. They’re
dressed in all black as they stormed the state secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta. They wailed as they mourned their colleagues.

One of the dead, Sitira, 23, was found dead at a refuse dump site at Olomoore junction in Abeokuta on Sunday morning. Suspected ritualists were said to have abandoned her corpse after severing some flesh from her body. The late Sitira was said to have been thrown off a moving SUV, along Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway. Speaking with reporters, the protesters claimed that beside Sitira, another colleague was killed by suspected ritualists.

They said the mutilated remains of the 2nd sex worker was discovered in a ditch at Olomoore, Abeokuta. They identified Sitira with different names: Titi and Folake. Bearing candle sticks, they chanted solidarity slogans and rained curses on the killers of their colleagues. They later moved to the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, where they continued their mourning.

They chanted: Oro nla leda, oro nla leda, eyin tepa Titi, t’eje odagba, oro nla leda. Omo yin maku, eeeheee omo yin maku, eyin tepa Titi t’eje odagba, omo yin maku. It means: You have done something grievous, you have done something grievous. The killers of Titi (Sitira) have done something grievous. Their children will die, their children will die, those that killed Titi will lose their children…. R.I.P Sitira…..