Witch hunters and the rule of law in Jigawa

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches welcomes the conviction of four persons for beating an alleged witch to death in Jigawa, in Northern Nigeria. According to a news report, a high court in the state sentenced four family members, a husband, wife, brother, and sister of the wife, to death. They are to die by hanging for beating 30-year-old Salamatu Musa to death over allegations of witchcraft. The four were arraigned four years ago for criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide in the Mallam-Madori local government area of the state.

In 2019, the convicts accused the deceased of witchcraft; they said that she was responsible for the death of their son and subsequently beat her to death. While the AfAW is against the death penalty, the organization welcomes the penalization of perpetrators of this horrific crime. AfAW commends state authorities in Jigawa for upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice. We hope other states in Nigeria would emulate Jigawa in bringing all witch hunters to justice.

Witchcraft accusations and jungle justice are against the law, and perpetrators should be brought to book. The government should not be indifferent; it should not look the other way. The government should not condone abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks. State authorities should rise to the challenge of protecting and defending alleged witches. Witch hunting persists in Nigeria due to impunity. Witch persecution happens because witch hunters are seldom punished or made to answer for their crimes. Witch hunters and perpetrators of ritual attacks are often not arrested or investigated. In a few cases where they are arrested, they are not usually charged in court. And when charged, they are rarely sentenced or convicted, as in this case. In most cases, police investigations or court processes are compromised. Justice is delayed and eventually denied.

But this sentencing in Jigawa is a positive development. It signals that it would no longer be business as usual. The conviction of the four persons indicates that there will no longer be a haven for witch hunters and perpetrators of ritual attacks in the country. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches calls on Adamawa, Plateau, Benue, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ondo, Edo, and other states of the federation where there are pending cases of witch-hunting and ritual attacks to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

In addition, doing justice in these cases should not only be seen in terms of sentencing the perpetrators but also providing support to relatives of the victims, especially in this case that the victim is deceased. Often relatives including children, sisters, and brothers are secondarily accused and abused. They are believed to have inherited or been infected with the evil magic. AfAW asks authorities in Jigawa to provide information about relatives, children if any, of the victim for necessary material and psychosocial support.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.