Ending Witch Hunts in Ekiti -By Leo Igwe

It was a delight to welcome all leaders and representatives of state and non-state agencies to the stakeholders’ meeting on witch hunts and ritual attacks in Ekiti state.  The Advocacy for Alleged Witches, founded in 2020, sponsored the event to address the problem of witch hunts in the state, and also to mark this year’s world day against witch hunts. AfAW was meant to be a movement, not another NGO. The aim is to realize a critical mass of advocates in cities and communities. Witch hunting has not been treated with the sense of urgency it deserves. So, as a movement, the advocacy group supplies the missing links in the campaign to end witch hunts in Africa, starting from Nigeria. The vision is to help make witch hunts and ritual attacks history in Africa by 2030.

Many people think this goal is a pipe dream and that it is not realistic. But many despair or are cynical because they rate Africa and Africans very low. With a low reckoning and expectation, which many Africans have internalized, there is little commitment; there is a lack of urgency in addressing the matter. And this is unfortunate.

Look, if the world could contain the COVID-19 pandemic in 2 years, then the world can contain and end the hunting pandemic within a decade. The world can end witch hunts in Africa and the rest of the globe if it wills. Africa can end witch hunts if Africa wills. Nigeria can stop abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks if it wills. Ekiti can become witch hunting free if Ekiti wills. We can, and will end witch hunts in Ekiti and Nigeria within a decade.

This generation of people in Ekiti, in Nigeria, and in Africa should make efforts so that it will be said of us that witch hunting started to diminish and disappear at our time, at this time. That we initiated and ended this campaign of violence and abuse. Witch hunting has persisted because of the tradition of passing the buck, not taking responsibility. Let us make it clear to all who care to know: The buck stops here. The buck stops at the table of this generation of people in Ekiti, Nigeria, and Africa.

Let me illustrate why I am optimistic that this wave of mindless violence will end. A month ago, someone sent me a short video of a program, where a child claimed that the grandmother had initiated her into ‘witchcraft’. She claimed that the grandmother had killed some people using witchcraft. For over four weeks, we tried to contact the radio station to help us reach the girl and the grandma for support.

 On Monday August 18 2025, I was at the station in Iddo. I met the managers of the station. They were warm, welcoming, and understanding.  I expressed our concerns over the program and its negative impact on the rights, social life, and development of the girl child and the grandmother. The management was very supportive. The station’s manager invited the family back to the station. After some hours, the girl, her grandfather, the mother with a baby, arrived at the station.

I was excited to meet with the girl, who was allegedly initiated into the witch world, whatever that means. The mother said she could no longer continue her education because her schoolmates were calling her a witch; they were not interacting with her. The father had to stop her from going to school.

The girl child is at home at the moment. We discussed plans to enroll her so that she could continue her education somewhere else. From our brief discussion, the accusation was linked to the inability of the baby, the girl’s sibling, to talk or walk. After the meeting, I spoke to a doctor who said the baby needed some medical examination; that it could be linked to the circumstances of his birth.

The family informed us that the grandmother was living in another village. The accusation has strained their relationship, so they could not take us to her place. On Wednesday, August 2025, the manager accompanied me to visit the woman. She recounted the story of her life, marriage, and the accusation against her. She told us, while sobbing and crying, that the accusation was false. That the allegation had ruined her life and business, and that sometimes she contemplated committing suicide.

The woman said that her husband divorced her when she was pregnant with her first son, who was also among the accusers. She brought up the child alone. The son, now married with 6 children, was accused of witchcraft in April. The daughter-in-law gave birth to twins, and one of the twins developed a health problem shortly after delivery. He used to vomit after eating or breastfeeding. (By the way she breastfed the child at least on three occasions during the meeting and he never vomited). The mother said that the boy had been unable to walk or talk. They went to hospitals and conducted some tests. The problem continued. The family went for a three-day fast and prayer at a CAC church in their area. On their return, one of the children, in primary 6, confessed that the grandmother was behind the sickness because she tied something around the baby’s neck as soon as he was delivered, hence the baby could not swallow anything without vomiting it.

The girl claimed the grandmother initiated her into the witch coven. The girl’s mother said that the grandmother had magically destroyed her business and taken the brains of the children, hence they were no longer doing well in school. The grandfather said he got fed and decided to take the matter to a radio so other people would know about it. I advised them to stop publicizing the accusation. That they should try to contain and resolve the matter within the family. I told the family to stop spreading the misinformation that the girl; that she had been initiated into the witchcraft world. I informed them that this allegation would lead to more stigmatization of the girl and her siblings. It would undermine her growth and development within the community. We agreed that all attention should be on the baby to understand the health condition. I instructed the baby be taken to the hospital for a medical test and examination to ascertain the problem. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches will explore other ways to support both accusers and accused. AfAW will address material and health conditions that made the accusation possible.

As in other states in Nigeria, superstitious belief in witchcraft and ritual wealth is pervasive in Ekiti and often leads to egregious human rights abuses. Until recently, these violations have been ignored; they have not been treated with the urgency they deserve. Ending witch hunts and ritual attacks in Ekiti and other states requires concerted efforts by state and non-state agencies, traditional and religious leaders, national, regional, and international organisations. And the Advocacy for Alleged Witches is committed to working with all stakeholders to end this harmful practice.