“Close down all witch camps immediately, arrest all witch doctors” — Founder of Humanity Magazine

The founder of Humanity Magazine, Mr. Yahaya Alhassan, is proposing a bipartisan support in the Parliament of Ghana aimed at finding a lasting solution to the problem of witch-camps in some communities in the country.

In the wake of the brutal murder of Madam Akua Danteh in July 2020, Mr, Alhassan had in December of last year petitioned parliament to initiate action to prosecute witch doctors and close down witch camps in the country.

In response to his letter, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Alban Bagbin assured Mr. Alhassan that a private member’s bill is currently being sponsored by the majority and minority leaders, Hon Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, respectively.

Other MPs on both sides of the aisle who are supporting the bill include Hon. Kojo Appiah-Kubi Member of Parliament for Atwima Kwawoma constituency and chairperson for gender and children, Hon. Laadi Ayii Ayamba Member of Parliament for Pusiga constituency and ranking member of the committee on gender and children and Hon. Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu Kubi, Member of Parliament for Madina.

He appealed to the parliamentarians to fast track the bill into becoming a law to free innocent women from what he called “captivity” and prosecute witch doctors to prevent future lynching of innocent elderly and vulnerable women.

Mr. Alhassan called on the interior and defense ministers to stop the “on-going criminality by arresting witch doctors and closing the witch camps in Bonyasi, Gambaga, Gnani, Kpatinga, Kukuo and Nabuli all in northern regions.

"Because it is very depressing to see how elderly women are mistreated and imprisoned in the witch-camps.

“It is also embarrassing to see how important people in our society, including intellectuals, slip to this quagmire of abhorrent beliefs and lies told by witch doctors to put voiceless women into deplorable witch-camps,’’ he added.

Mr. Alhassan called on civil societies and northern leaders to join the campaign to close the camps and the government of Ghana to provide monthly reparation/compensation to victims.