Alot of Nigerians, young and old, have suffered tremendously as a result of a renewed wave of belief in witchcraft. Those employed as domestic helps have had to bear the pain, humiliation and stigmatisation of being labelled witches for one reason or the other. New generation pastors, who would do everything possible to convince their followers and admirers of their acclaimed powers, are not helping matters as they subject their victims to unimaginable spiritual exercise. RUTH CHOJI spoke with some of the victims of this belief.
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Recounting her experience in the hands of her accusers, Anita Bassey, an indigene of Akwa-Ibom State described her encounter as the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. ‘‘I was brought to Abuja to work for my madam by my Aunt and at first, everything was okay even though? she was not very kind but it got worse when the husband lost his job and life became difficult.
They started visiting prayer houses and one pastor told them at some point that the person they left at home is the cause of their problems. Since I was the only person they left at home, they came back to fetch and bring me to the man. He and his Church members began to pray for me, all the time pouring holy water and anointing oil on me. Some of them hit me with their Bible while invoking Holy Ghost fire.
At a point when I could not take the punishment anymore, (I was there for three days without food) I agreed that I was a witch. They then asked me to take them to my secret place and since I did not have any, I took them to the back of the mountain and pointed to one dirty place; they started digging and came up with some dirty rags which they claimed are my powers. I did so because I wanted them to send me home; else they would have killed me. They sent for my aunt and told her what happened after which they gave me my one month salary in advance and I left their house.”
Ngo Vou, an aged mother of eight with four dead is also being accused of killing her children, husband and other relatives. In her sincere confession however, she insists that she is not a witch. ‘‘I am not a witch.
Every day, I pray that God will take my life so that I can rest from the pain I am going through. My surviving children now avoid me. They do not allow me to see their children because they are convinced that I will ‘eat’ or harm them.
They only come to see me once in a while without the children. How can I eat the children I labored to give birth to? I loved my husband very much, how can I kill the man I love and have lived with for forty-two years? I keep telling people that I am not a witch but nobody would listen to me.
They have brought prayer warriors from their church to pray and deliver me and as they said their prayers, they kept shouting that the witch should die but, I am still alive. If truly I were a witch, I would have been dead by now. People avoid me; those that come to visit me don’t take anything I offer them or even come close to me as if I am a leper.’’
Barr Alice Anelegwu believes witchcraft could be real or imagined depending on people’s beliefs and orientation but as a lawyer she says, ‘‘even the constitution recognizes witchcraft in section 210 of the criminal code. Anytime cases involving witchcraft come before us, we tend to handle them with care because what you do not know should not be treated with levity.?
“If you accuse somebody of being a witch, then that is akin to defamation of character and that is where we take it from. As for children, I know that Nigeria is a signatory to laws on children rights like the convention on the rights of the child and the AU charter on the rights and welfare of the child which has been signed into law. It is a law that if fully obeyed and implemented, will help children who are being accused and abused in the name of witchcraft. I have handled a case like that once where the girl was taken to one native doctor to cast out the demons in her; it was people that reported the self exorcist to the police.
We were brought into the picture by one of the parents because their child was really dehumanized by the man. If these laws are followed to the later, like in 4-18 where it states that ‘every child is entitled to respect of the dignity of his person and accordingly , no child should be A) subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment including sexual abuse B) no child should be subject to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and that no child be subjected to attacks upon his/her honor’. Personally I believe that witchcraft exists in Nigeria because there are some things that you cannot explain and even science cannot explain them, but that is my personal opinion.”
The secretary general of NAPTIP, an organization that has been in the forefront?? on the fight against child trafficking, prostitution and other related issues, Simon Chuzi Egede on his part said, ‘‘witchcraft is a real system belief that is rooted in popular mentality of our people with its origin in African traditional religion and its varied attributes or ancestral worship, rituals, beliefs in mermaid, magic a spirit reincarnation and voodoo.?
“When a child is accused of witchcraft, their fate is sealed. The child is subjected to all manner of abuse ranging from stigmatization, discrimination, ostracism; sever beating, cutting and starving. Others are burns, poisoned, rape, abandonment, brutality, tattoos, murder or being buried alive.”
He however insists that the situation is made worst by the proliferation of religious or spiritual organization that is independent of Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). ‘‘They identify children as witches and cause the parents/wards to execute severe cruelty to them, making them suffer the worst form of abuse, rejection, dehumanization, neglect and abandonment, some parents, guardians, churches, schools and the community are all guilty of this offence.”
Mr. Egede also stated that, the society is replete? with crime? ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, abduction, rape, assignation, terrorism, human trafficking and so on and that , social scientist believe that all? these are the result f too much bitterness and animosity possible as a result of cruelty meted to them as children. Commenting further, the secretary general said, ‘‘in recent past, the agency rescued some children who were exploited and abused by a pastor in Abuja in the guise of delivering them from witchcraft. These children are from Nasaarwa , Kaduna and Taraba states and they were sheltered, counseled and reunited? with their parents.”
He however urged states to pass the child rights act into law to empower people to challenge the evil practice. Egede also appealed to religious leaders to encourage the adoption of child –friendly and protective doctrines in places of worship. Royal fathers/traditional rulers? should wade into the matter, and parents should remember that they have a natural duty to the child and so the laws of nature apart from the criminal law should make them love and protect them from abuse.