..says 150 cases recorded

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Rights groups, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches, AFAW, and the International Network Against Accusations of Witchcraft and Associated Harmful Practices, TINAAWAHP, have raised concern over the killings and abuses suffered by persons accused of alleged witchcraft and called for the protection of victims.

They made the call during an exhibition and roundtable organized by AFAW, TINAAWAHP and the Department of Political Science Benue State University, BSU, Makurdi, with the theme “Witch Hunts in the 21st Century: A Human Rights Catastrophe.”

The Director, AFAW Dr Leo Igwe said the event was held in Benue “because the state has been a hotspot for attacks, killings, and other horrific abuses linked to witchcraft; Mbatsav, in Tiv, Aleku in Idoma and there should be an end to the abuses.”

He described as unfortunate that “many people in the state still attribute the cause of their problems to witchcraft or witches including diseases like breast cancer, diabetic sore, psychiatric issues, infertility, poverty, inability to find a husband or wife, accidents, sudden deaths, business and academic failures.

“Many people believe that they could be initiated or their children could be initiated into the occult world after taking some biscuits or other snacks from fellow students or neighbours. Many people in Benue state believe that some people through touching or shaking their hands magically disappear their penis.

“And as a result of their mistaken, superstitious and irrational beliefs, people commit atrocities. People attack and kill suspected witches with impunity. People abduct them and torture them, they force plantain stems into their anus, they bury them alive, strip them naked, banish or most often lynch them.

“Witch belief has caused human rights catastrophe in Benue. We want to end this catastrophic situation. The event is an attempt to push back, highlight the violations and injustices that alleged witches face and suffer.”

He said AFAW had recorded over 150 of such cases across the country with seven reported in Benue state “and we hope to use this event to empower victims and their families and get them to speak out and get psychosocial and material help and support.”

Earlier, the Dean of Political Science, BSU, Prof. Benjamin Ahule and the Head of Department, Dr Atah Pine urged the students to be advocates against violation of rights of people alleged to be witches.

The Dean who accused some Churches of fueling witch hunting, attacks and jungle justice on the elderly alleged to be witches urged them to stop such unfounded prophecy to minimize human rights abuses.

A resource person, Terver Akase and a neurosurgeon with the Federal University of Health Science Otukpo, FUHSO, Dr Amina Onyewuchi pointed out that some cases of cancer had been blamed on witches when they should seek medical attention at the early stages of the ailment.

Dr Onyewuchi encouraged the organisers to take the campaign to the rural communities advising members of the public to visit the hospitals when sick “because most illnesses you glorify witchcraft with are not true.”

The event featured the exhibition of collection of photographs showcasing victims of witch persecution and penis disappearance, highlighting their stories, the human rights implications of witch hunts.