The Advocacy for Alleged Witches to Mark World Day Against Witch Hunts

On Saturday, August 10, 2024, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches(AfAW) will mark this year's World Day against witch hunts. The Pontifical Mission Societies (known in German as missio) created this day to shed light on the problem of witch hunts across the globe. At AfAW, we are organizing activities across Nigeria to highlight the issue. The theme for this year's event is Challenging Religious Leaders' Role in Witch hunts. There will be two events in Owerri, Imo state, and Makurdi in Benue state. These programs will allow victims to share their experiences and tell their side of the story.

AfAW is focusing on the role of religious leaders because many incidents of witch-hunting have been linked to pastors, priests, diviners, imams, prophets, and prophetesses. These religious actors claim to have powers to identify and overwhelm 'witches'. Meanwhile there is no evidence for that. Some godmen and women carry out witch hunts or motivate suspecters and believers to accuse and persecute alleged witches. Fearers and believers in witchcraft consult and get them to confirm their suspicions. Some families and communities hire witch hunters at a fee. They invite them to come and cleanse and purge their places of these occult forces. These self-acclaimed witch-finders accuse innocent individuals who are subsequently attacked, tortured, or murdered.

Witch hunters incite, sanctify, and perpetrate horrific abuses with impunity in the community. Unfortunately, they are seldom arrested, prosecuted, or brought to justice.

Meanwhile, AfAW has intervened in several cases linked to witch-hunting pastors and clerics. In Cross River, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches has been advocating for Helen Ukpabio of the Liberty Gospel Church to be brought to justice for her witch-hunting activities in the region. Witch hunting cannot stop until witch hunters like Ukpabio are held to account. Ukpabio claims to be an ex-witch and organizes programs where she claims she identifies and exorcizes witchcraft. Her programs have been linked to the pervasive cases of witchcraft accusation including child witch persecution and stigmatization in the region.

In Edo state, a so-called man of god, locally known as pastor Sharp Sharp, accused and assaulted a 90-year-old woman and a chief imam. In Izzi Ebonyi state, one prophet Ubadinma, and other pastors organized a witch-hunting event that led to the abduction and torture of suspected witches and the setting ablaze of houses and other properties belonging to accused persons. Many charismatic priests and prayer warriors have launched witch-hunting ministries. They use tricks and deceit to fuel witchcraft fears and anxieties; they incite hatred and violence against alleged witches. Some AfAW cases from Cross River, Adamawa, Plateau, Imo, Benue, etc are linked to the prophecies and exorcisms of these 'god' men and women.

For this year's World Day Against Witch Hunts, AfAW draws attention to the infamous and despicable role of religious leaders in this problem. AfAW urges the public to resist these medieval throwbacks and charlatans. The public should oppose and denounce any witch hunting program or prayer session because they cause confusion, destroy lives, and wreak havoc in our communities.

Africans should rally against all witch-hunting pastors, priests, diviners, and other miners of fear, gullibility, and superstition anywhere in the region.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.