By Leo Igwe

The recent statement by the Chief Judge(CJ) of Bauchi state, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar bemoaning the rising cases of witchcraft in the state has been brought to the attention of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches. The CJ and other members of the Administrative Justice Committee visited prisons to review the cases of awaiting trial inmates. Describing the adjudication of witchcraft cases as a persistent challenge to legal jurisprudence in the state the CJ noted: “If you are not a witch, you cannot identify one”. She then went further to say that witchcraft is “an issue that is difficult to prove unless the accused confesses”(sic). The Advocacy for Alleged Witches is concerned by these pronouncements.

The expression: “It takes a witch to identify a witch” may appear innocuous, but it is not. The statement is a tacit validation of witchcraft, a reinforcement of the belief because the statement implies that witch identification is possible under some form. That witch identification is a capacity that some people have or could have; that ‘witches’, as popularly believed, are identifiable entities. Helen Ukpabio of the Liberty Gospel Church exploits this narrative in her witch-hunting business. She claims to be an ex-witch and to have powers to identify witches and exorcise witchcraft. Was she a witch? No. Does she have powers to identify or exorcise witchcraft? No.

Meanwhile, witches do not exist, and no one has the ability to identify witches and wizards, as popularly believed. Those who claim to have witch-identifying powers are charlatans. The CJ should not make statements that glorify charlatans and charlatanism, statements that validate their bogus claims and practices.

In addition, the CJ also stated that witchcraft accusations were difficult to prove unless the accused person confessed. Confessed? That witches confess is another narrative that some use to confuse the public and validate witchcraft. Do ‘witches’ confess? No, they do not because they cannot and more importantly because they are not. To confess, witches must first exist; they must first be in the position to confess. Accused persons are not capable of witchcraft powers.

As imaginary entities, witches cannot confess as popularly believed. Accused persons are beaten to admit ‘witchcraft’. Are the admissions witch confessions? Their accusers subject them to torture, jungle justice, and trial by ordeal. They make them admit to doing what they did not do; to perpetrating occult harm. Many people mistake the incoherent utterances of people with dementia and other mental health challenges for witch confessions, they are not. Accused people do not confess, they are tortured to confess. Psychopaths and sociopaths torture them to confess. Witch confessions are not proofs of witchcraft. They do not constitute evidence that is admissible in court, beyond reasonable doubt.

Witchcraft is a sensitive subject. The CJ and other state actors should be careful and thoughtful in commenting to avoid confusing the public and validating misconceptions and superstitions. State actors should stick to the law and avoid making utterances that could undermine the letters and spirit of the law. The Nigerian law does not recognize witchcraft. It criminalizes witchcraft accusations. It criminalizes trial by ordeal and jungle justice. To make allusions that imply witches exist or are identifiable undermines the spirit of the law. To claim that confessions prove witchcraft is a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation of the law. To accept a witch confession, one must first acknowledge the confessor is a witch. So, an extraction of witch confession is an exercise in criminality.

So the expression that it takes a witch to identify a witch is a misguided statement. Justice Umar and other state actors should make it clear to the public that witchcraft accusations are against the law and those who accuse or make the accused confess are liable.

Igwe, PhD, directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

By Dooyum Dominic Ingye

On January 22, 2025, I returned from Yola, Adamawa State, where I attended a roundtable discussion on witchcraft hunts in the 21st century. The event, held on January 21, 2025, took place at the conference hall of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), a newly commissioned and magnificent edifice. According to the Coordinator and staff of the Commission, it was not only the first event they had hosted since the building’s commissioning, but it also marked an unprecedented dialogue on an aspect of human rights violations that had never been previously discussed or deliberated upon at such a platform.

The roundtable discussion, which included an award ceremony, was sponsored by the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) in collaboration with the NHRC. Representing AfAW at this landmark event, I delivered a presentation that highlighted AfAW’s mission, objectives, and activities. This included documentation of witch hunts and superstitious beliefs, case interventions, strategies, impacts, achievements, and calls to action.

Dooyum Dominic Ingye and Grace Mamza

Prior to the event, AfAW had been working with the Coordinator of the NHRC Yola office, Mrs. Grace Mamza, to defend and support individuals accused of witchcraft in Adamawa State. Like Benue and Imo States, Adamawa has become a troubling hotspot for witchcraft accusations and persecution. According to findings by AfAW and the NHRC’s Senior Operations Manager, many people in Adamawa’s rural areas are subjected to witch hunts, yet these cases are rarely reported.

AfAW is currently managing three notable cases in Adamawa State. In the most prominent case, a woman with four children was accused by her husband’s second wife of using witchcraft to manipulate him. This accusation led to the tragic death of the woman’s daughter and her subsequent separation from her husband. AfAW has actively taken up her case, providing her with legal, economic, and psychological support. In another case, the National Director of AfAW, Dr. Leo Igwe, released a press statement condemning the acquittal of a suspect who had murdered an accused woman.

Recognizing the urgent need for action, AfAW organized the roundtable discussion to sensitize key stakeholders, including vigilance groups, police officers, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, religious leaders, community leaders, students, the press, and NHRC staff.

The program commenced with opening remarks by Grace Mamza, the NHRC Coordinator, who emphasized the Commission’s commitment to defending human rights, particularly those of women and children who are frequent victims of witch hunts. She expressed gratitude to AfAW for its collaborative efforts and pledged the Commission’s continued support in eradicating witch hunts in Adamawa State.

Although absent, Dr. Leo Igwe, the National Director of AfAW, shared a goodwill message that I presented on his behalf. In his message, Dr. Igwe underscored the alarming prevalence of witchcraft accusations and related violence in Adamawa, including recent cases of murder. He called on law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and the government to enforce legal protections for victims, ensure justice, and end impunity for perpetrators. He criticized delays in court processes and judicial failures in handling such cases. Dr. Igwe reaffirmed AfAW’s goal of ending witchcraft accusations and persecution in Nigeria by 2030 through advocacy, education, and enforcement, and he urged stakeholders to collaborate to achieve this critical mission.

In my presentation, I elaborated on the work of AfAW, founded by Dr. Leo Igwe, which is dedicated to eradicating human rights violations arising from witchcraft accusations across Africa. AfAW focuses on raising awareness, protecting victims, and promoting policy reforms to combat these abuses.

Witchcraft accusations often target vulnerable groups such as women, children, and individuals with disabilities, leading to brutal assaults, forced confessions, banishment, and even deaths.

I outlined various cases handled by AfAW to demonstrate the dangers of superstition and witch persecution. I explained how AfAW counters these practices through public sensitization campaigns, critical thinking workshops, case interventions, and collaborations with traditional, religious, and governmental stakeholders.Additionally, AfAW advocates for legislative reforms to criminalize harmful cultural practices.

I highlighted AfAW’s achievements, which include raising public awareness, resolving individual cases, and influencing policy. I emphasized that AfAW will continue to promote rational thinking, strengthen partnerships, and encourage community responsibility to end witch-hunting and protect human dignity. The presentation stimulated a robust discussion, with participants expressing strong support for AfAW’s mission. Many pledged to act as advocates against witch hunts in their communities.

A significant highlight of the event was the presentation of the Advocate of the Year Award to Grace Mamza. Each year, AfAW honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the campaign against witch hunts. In a society where witch hunts are often celebrated, it is essential to recognize and encourage those who actively condemn and combat such abuses. Grace Mamza was selected for her exceptional efforts, including her collaboration with AfAW to defend accused persons in Adamawa.

A few months earlier, in 2024, Ann Kyado received the award for her courageous work with AfAW in seeking justice for her father’s accusers, despite facing immense community pressure and threats. I had the honor of conferring the award, which included a financial token, on Mrs. Grace Mamza.

In my closing remarks, I reminded participants to fulfill their promises by acting as advocates against witch hunts in their communities. I encouraged them to challenge superstitious beliefs by asking probing questions and adopting logical or scientific approaches to problem-solving. As one participant noted, anyone could potentially be accused, underscoring the urgent need to eradicate witch hunts. I concluded by urging everyone to thrive in their efforts to protect human rights and dignity.

Ingye is the Program Manager,
Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

By Leo Igwe

An advocate has messaged the Advocacy for Alleged Witches, drawing attention to the activities of suspected ritualists in Asaba, the capital of Delta State. In the message, the advocate stated: “God saved me from another mourning this beautiful year. This morning, my late friend’s teenage daughter was dropped off at a salon near Midwifery Road by her aunt, who rushed to clean her church, House of the Rock. This happened before 7:00 a.m., the area was quiet, and shops were closed”.

After the drop-off, some people came in a car to the point where she was standing. The message continued: “As the aunt drove away, she, the girl, noticed a cream-colored Camry with a license plate starting with AYB. The Camry approached her, and a young man came out and ordered her inside. They took her phone, and power bank, the attachment that she wanted to use to make her hair. They also collected her ATM card and demanded her PIN ( she wisely gave the wrong one). They also questioned her about her virginity and abortion history. She told them she wasn’t a virgin and had done an abortion many times. Following her response, they drove to a point and pushed her out of the car, which was somewhere linking NTA Road”.

The lady approached some passersby, asking for assistance. Some ignored her, thinking she was mentally challenged. But she later met some people who were moved by her story and assisted her with some transportation fare. She returned home safely.

According to the advocate, the inquiry about her virginity made her suspect that these persons were ritualists. And they wanted to use her or her body parts for ritual sacrifice. She suspected that these ritualists wanted to collect her hymen for sacrifice, hence they asked her if she were a virgin. Some people believe that hymens from virgins have some magical potency and could yield money or wealth. There is no evidence for this belief. In the past, there have been cases where some ritualists stole female pants and sanitary pads.

On her Facebook page, the advocate warned the public: “Tell your daughters that they shouldn’t reveal their virginity to anyone if they are still intact. They are the targets of these bad guys .” By bad boys, she meant ritualists. At the end of her message, she said: “I pray for every girl’s safety; may none fall victim to ritualists. I pray for Asaba also. May evil be flushed out. And for these ritualists, hand go touch una this week”. Through this advocate, we got through to the victim, Ms A, a 17-year-old law student at a local university. She confirmed the incident. She said they collected her phone, ATM card, and hair attachment. The estimated total cost is four hundred and ten thousand naira(410,000 naira).

We advised Ms A to be more careful and vigilant. We urged her to stay strong and not to entertain fears or worries that some people would use her for some ritual sacrifice, especially, in this case, that they took her hair attachment. We made it clear to her that there is no potency in the ritual sacrifice of anything, human or animal. That even if someone did such a sacrifice, it would have no impact on her. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches will explore ways of further support for Ms. A. AfAW acknowledges that there are criminals who kidnap, murder, and attack persons for ritual purposes. Some individuals harvest human body parts, including private parts and breasts. Many people indulge in the sacrifice of humans or their human body parts, believing that such rituals would yield money, power, success, or prosperity.

However, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches declares that ritual money beliefs are forms of superstition. Ritual money claims are based on fear and ignorance. AfAW has reported this incident to the police and urges the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious movement in their neighborhoods.

Let’s say no to ritual attacks and abuses. Let’s say no to superstitious belief in ritual money and sacrifice. Let’s leave superstitions and embrace science and critical thinking.

Igwe, PhD , directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches which campaigns against abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks.