Policing Witchcraft Accusations and ‘Agwu’ Beliefs: Extortion, Exploitation and Impunity in Imo State -By Leo Igwe

The case of Mr Joseph Ottih, 70, highlights a curious link between witchcraft allegations, law enforcement, and traditional beliefs/practices in Imo state. This link should be explored to combat abuses related to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks. A local human rights activist drew the attention of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) to this incident following the arrest and incarceration of Joseph’s wife, Oby, at the infamous anti-kidnapping unit, also known as the Tigerbase, of the Imo state police command in Owerri.

On Thursday, January 16, advocates met with Ottih and the family to better understand what happened. According to Mr Ottih, a family effort to address one of the children’s health challenges was at the root of it all. The health problem started after the son collapsed while playing a football match in December 2024. In an attempt to fix the health issue, Mr Ottih and family took the son to so many native doctors and churches for treatment, rituals, and prayers. They recounted some of the places they visited in search of a cure and remedy, as well as the money that they paid. For instance, a native doctor in Naze charged them 250 thousand naira, and in Mbaise, a Winners’ Chapel pastor forced them to cough up 170 thousand naira for prayers. Two native doctors, a man and a woman, charged them 250 thousand naira and 350 thousand naira, respectively. In Omuma, one native doctor charged them 750 thousand naira, another one, an Ezenwanyi, collected 560 thousand naira. While another, who did some ritual called Agwu for the wife and son, charged 950 thousand and 250 thousand naira, respectively. They also told AfAW that a Sabbath man in Oguta billed them 150 thousand naira, and a native doctor in Mgbidi collected 780 thousand naira from them. Three other native doctors at Orlu Junction, in Mgbidi, and Obinze charged them 380 thousand naira, 50 thousand naira, and 80 thousand naira, respectively.

Joseph claimed that a native doctor from Mgbidi did some traditional ritual known as Agwu for their son. And the ritual, which was kept at the compound, was helping the son to recover. However, in December, events took a different turn. A relative, Hilary Onyema Ottih, who lives in the United States, came back and insisted that the Agwu must be removed. Hilary and his siblings feared the Agwu would negatively impact them. Hilary, who had built and fenced his apartment, mobilized members of the local vigilante group, who invaded the compound and tried to remove the Agwu by force. But Joseph and his family members resisted them. Hilary later went and mobilized police officers from the Tigerbase, led by one, Chikadibia Okebala (also known as Kill and Bury). The police officers, with the assistance of the local vigilante group, forced their way into their compound and took away the Agwu. Ottih and his family members tried to resist them without success. In the course of this incident, Joseph Ottih said Chikadibia hit him with a gun on his shoulder, and he fell to the ground. A police officer slapped one of the daughters and shot another one in the leg.

Joseph stated that the following day, Hilary mobilized his siblings, including Vivian Ottih, Nnachi Ottih, Nneka Ottih, Chinenye Ottih, and Chiamaka Ottih. They came and confronted him and the family. Hilary came with a pistol, Nnachi was armed with a machete, and threatened to cut off the head of Chinemere. Vivian held the hair attachment of one of the daughters and dragged it violently. In addition, Joseph said that Hilary used a pestle and hit him on the shoulder, back, hip, and legs. Hilary tried hitting him on the head, but someone stopped him.

Some mob invaded their compound and destroyed their property, including their ukwa, pear, orange, palm, plantain, and orange trees. They also destroyed their doors, windows, and their borehole. Joseph and his family members fled the community. They have been living with relatives.

On January 3, Joseph’s wife Oby went to the market to buy things, and members of the local vigilante group arrested and detained her. They later handed her over to police officers from the Tigerbase. Oby said that she was taken to the police station in the booth of the car. The police detained and later released her on January 7 after the family paid 150 thousand naira.

On Friday, January 16, two advocates visited the Tigerbase to hear from the Investigating Police Officer and better understand how the police were handling the matter. Witchcraft accusation is against the law. The accusers, not the accused, are liable; they are those who should be arrested and prosecuted. So what happened in this case? Why did the police invade the compound of the accused? The law does not recognize spiritual icons like Agwu, Agbara, or charms. The Nigerian constitution guarantees the right of all Nigerians to freedom of religion or belief. The officer commanding the anti-kidnapping unit, Oladimeji, directed advocates to the IPO, Mr. Kill and Bury. Chikadibia, who should be in his late 40s, received the advocates in his office. An effigy of a tiger was on his table. Mr Kill and Bury, who doubles as a traditional title holder, explained that Joseph and family refused to remove or relocate the charm despite requests from family and community members. He recounted, using some video clips, how they also resisted the vigilante and police when they came to evacuate the Agwu. Advocates told him that the law did not recognize Agwu or Agbara or charm and that the police had no business removing Agwu because the ritual was within the right of the Ottihs to freedom of religion or belief.

The police officer noted that Agwu was causing fear in the family and community, hence they went and evacuated the items. Advocates pointed out that if everyone had to remove what caused fear and anxiety in every compound, there would be chaos and anarchy. Chikadibia made futile attempts to defend police intervention using traditions. He agreed that Agwu had no basis in law but stated that local traditions recognized Agwu. Advocates pressed him to explain the meaning of Agwu or charm and the legality of the police action, especially why the police intervened to protect and defend the accusers, not the accused. But he could not provide any reasonable explanation or justification. Joseph and his family were of the impression that Hilary had ‘mobilized’ the Tigerbase to torture and further victimize him. They told AfAW that Tigerbase police officers were hell-bent on doing the bidding of Hilary.

Mr. Kill and Bury later showed one of the advocates the Agwu that they had taken away from Ottih’s compound. It was ridiculous watching as he frantically searched through a dump-like place at the Tigerbase looking for the so-called powerful Agwu that was allegedly causing fear in the community. The Agwu included a dead and rotten chicken, some carved wooden items, a long rod with some small gongs attached to it, and some red and black cloth. He claimed there were some exhibits for the court. The IPO said that the case would soon be charged in court. From the information with AfAW, the police are working with the complainants to charge Mr Joseph Ottih and family for attempted murder and assault.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches has assured Mr Ottih and family of support. The family should not worry about the threat of prosecution because the allegation lacks merit. The police will need to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, including what makes those items that they collected a charm or Agwu, and how the location of the so-called charm or Agwu became a crime. The police officer, Chikadibia, further alluded to the potency of the Agwu. He claimed that their vehicle had an accident while they were coming back from the community, and their car was damaged. He also told advocates that the main complainant, Hilary, had taken ill and was now in a wheelchair. The police need to train their officers before commissioning them. The IPO was speaking more like a traditionalist than a police officer in an attempt to justify their action. Decades of Christian evangelization have led to a demonization and witchcraftization of traditional religious objects and icons. Christians and muslims treat traditional religious items with fear, disdain, hate, and hostility. The police should not enable this misrepresentation. The police should train their officers to understand their role as enforcers of law, not tradition or religion.

While AfAW continues to explore other ways of empowering and rehabilitating the victims, the advocacy group will ensure effective legal representation for Joseph Ottih’s family and other victims of witch persecution in the country. AfAW will hire a legal counsel to defend Ottih and his family if the matter is charged in a court. Witch hunting must stop. Witch hunters, including police officers, must be stopped!

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches which aims to end witch hunts in Africa by 2030