Nigeria: The belief in witchcraft; whether it is confined to certain tribes or regions; the treatment of those accused of being witches; whether traditional medicine men are accused of being witches; the treatment of families of those accused of being witches; police reaction to the killing of those accused of being witches; whether there are safe areas or villages to which those accused of being witches can go
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 6 September 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | NGA39321.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria: The belief in witchcraft; whether it is confined to certain tribes or regions; the treatment of those accused of being witches; whether traditional medicine men are accused of being witches; the treatment of families of those accused of being witches; police reaction to the killing of those accused of being witches; whether there are safe areas or villages to which those accused of being witches can go, 6 September 2002, NGA39321.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4ddf23.html [accessed 22 July 2020] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a professor of anthropology at Frank and Marshall College (FMC) who has published articles and books on the topic of witchcraft in Nigeria and who currently teaches a course called "Witchcraft and Sorcery in a Global Context," "people all over [Nigeria] certainly believe ...or at least are interested in, some power(s) we might call 'witchcraft' " (4 Sept. 2002a). Similarly, a professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona (UA) who published a book called Shamans, Priests and Witches: A Cross-Cultural Study of Magico-Religious Practitioners stated that "all Nigerian ethnic groups have traditional beliefs in witchcraft" (3 Sept. 2002). Additional sources also claim that there is widespread belief in witchcraft throughout Nigeria (AFP 15 Nov. 2000; ibid. 20 Nov. 2000).
Regarding the treatment of accused witches, the professor from FMC claimed that it was "uniformly bad" (4 Sept. 2002a). She explained that
Today some accused witches in Nigeria (following a practice in South Africa) have been "necklaced" – that is, been placed inside an old tire, doused with gasoline and set alight. I have also heard of accused witches being beaten to death by passersby, usually in a public space. There is an idea that real witches will eventually confess, tiring of their own wickedness and ready to die. The body of the dead witch is never accorded proper burial – which means among Igbo speakers, at least, that no one in her/his lineage wishes her/him to be reincarnated. The spirits of dead witches are thought to be even more frightening than their living counterparts; people are not keen to go near the burial spot or dumping ground where a witch's body has been deposed (ibid.).
The professor from UA agrees that "local authorities (as opposed to formal governmental officials) often treat witchcraft as a crime punishable by death" (3 Sept. 2002). A report of the burning death of an accused witch by passersby was found in an article in This Day on 14 February 2002.
One report of a police investigation following an attack on accused witches was found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate (AFP 15 Nov. 2000). According to the FMC professor, police usually express "indifference" (4 Sept. 2002a). She explained that
There have been a few instances in recent years during which the police intervened and tried to stop a necklacing or other public acts of execution on a person accused of witchcraft, but, generally speaking, the police are as afraid of these beings as are the public. And, it should be said, witchcraft is a crime in Nigerian law – and people have been prosecuted for it before judges! So, a brave policeman might intervene in a stoning or necklacing, but there is otherwise a good deal of indifference expressed towards accused witches by official Nigeria. Supporting an accused witch, of course, might lead some to think that the supporter is himself a witch (ibid.).
The professor from FMC stated that there are several types of medicine men including: the traditional herbalists; those who have special connections with spiritual forces and are also known as the "human spirit"; and the "fraudsters," "dupers," or "money doublers" as they are called in Nigeria (ibid.). The professor describes the different types as follows:
The "fraudsters" or "dupers" or "money doublers" ... have no real knowledge of herbs or supernatural forces but ... convince the public they do. The "traditional herbalist," ... is a combination of medical practitioner and medium. He or she knows medicines (ogwu, in Igbo) that can harm as well as heal and must balance his/her practice - or risk being considered a witch or evil sorcerer. The "human spirit" (as such a one is known in Igbo) lives in two worlds and does not really have a proper foothold in either; he/she might well be considered a witch if bad things happen in his/her lineage or town. The "fraudster" might demonstrate witch-like propensities, but he/she is not usually seen as a true witch. It is all an act, although some of the act might be perpetrated through the use of ogwu, usually bought from a "traditional herbalist." So people have their suspicions of characters like these – but they also know that an herbalist who sells bad medicines to outsiders could be a local hero, someone who looks out for his/her own. The "human spirit" is more difficult; no one is sure where his/her loyalties lie, and he/she might be an excellent candidate for accusation. The "fraudster" is just that, although he may have ties to witches and other evil folk (ibid.).
Regarding the treatment of families of those accused of being witches, the FMC professor stated that she had not heard of harm being inflicted on them by their community members (ibid.). She stated that "people feel sorry" for a family with a lineage that includes witches since "the main type of 'witchcraft' that we hear about in Nigeria is witchcraft that preys upon the witch's own lineage group – i.e. the people being killed and consumed are one's most intimate kin" (ibid.). She noted, however, that people would avoid marrying into a lineage with a reputation for producing witches and that people are "careful how they deal with its members" (ibid.). No additional information on the treatment of families of those accused of being witches could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In terms of whether there are safe areas or villages to which an accused witch may go, the professor from MFC said she had heard of "witch villages" in Ghana where they are sent in lieu of execution, but not in Nigeria (ibid.). However, she had heard recent accounts of former accused witches who confessed after undergoing a Pentecostal Christian conversion being spared their lives (4 Sept. 2002b).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 20 November 2000. "Police Uncover Gruesome Ritual Killing in Nigeria." (NEXIS)
_____. 15 November 2000. "Lagos Mob Barking Up Wrong Tree, Say Police." (NEXIS)
Arizona State University. Tempe. 3 September 2002. Correspondence with senior lecturer in the department of anthropology.
Frank and Marshall College. Lancaster. 4 September 2002a. Correspondence with associate professor of anthropology.
_____. 4 September 2002b. Correspondence with associate professor of anthropology.
This Day. [Lagos]. 14 February 2002. "Nigeria: Imoh, Burnt Lady, Was Known All Over." (Africa News/NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential
Africa Online
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Integrated Regional International Network (IRIN)
Newswatch Nigeria
Nigeria Daily
Vanguard
World News.com
World News Connection (WNC)
Search engines including:
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