By Leo Igwe
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches urges Nigerians against encouraging or undergoing spiritual fortification, traditional, Christian or Islamic. This statement has become necessary following the reported death of one Chikwado Eze, who was buried alive in the course of a spiritual fortification in Enugu in Southern Nigeria. According to the report, the deceased, who had secured a visa to travel overseas, shared the news with the father. The father took him to a native doctor for spiritual fortification. The ritual required that he be buried alive for an hour and thirty minutes. This process, they believed, would make him strong and able to prosper overseas. The native doctor buried him alive, but he eventually passed away. The police have arrested the so-called native doctor and the father of the deceased.
The case of Eze illustrates the dark and deadly effects of irrational and superstitious beliefs and rituals. Superstition is a form of intellectual poison. Many Nigerians believe in the potency and efficacy of fortification rituals. They patronize traditional, Christian and Islamic ‘spiritual fortifiers’. As in the case of Eze, they subject themselves or their relatives and friends to this often harmful process. In many cases, spiritual fortification forms a part of initiation into campus cult groups, community age grades, or protective and prosperity rituals. In the course of fortification rituals, people are beaten and flogged with sticks.
Many end up with serious injuries that sometimes lead to death. Sometimes, they are cut with machetes, made to sleep in the wild or drink health-damaging concoctions. The belief is that these barbaric and savage treatments and processes would make them spiritually strong and fortified to withstand and resist any threat or danger to their lives or estate.
Unfortunately, there is no evidence for this belief. There is no proof that spiritual fortification is potent and effective. As in the case of Eze, there is overwhelming evidence that spiritual fortification harms, and leads to death or health damage.
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches warns the public not to indulge in spiritual fortification of any kind because the process is a sham. Charlatans conduct it; ignorant and gullible people subject themselves to the ritual. First, the process is a contradiction. A spiritual fortification process should be strictly a spiritual affair, that is, it should be conducted metaphysically. The process should be carried out spiritually, not materially, not physically. To spiritually fortify, there is no need to beat, flog, or bury people alive. It is contradictory to use material and physical rituals to strengthen people spiritually. Such a process reeks of absurdity, fraud, or stupidity.
Second, the process is harmful. In cases where people do not die in the process of being spiritually fortified, they sustain injuries, traumas, and other physical or health issues that they grapple with for the rest of their lives. Spiritual fortification yields weak health and existential conditions and contradictions.
In addition, fortification leads to the exploitation and impoverishment of seekers of these rituals because the process is not free. Those who seek spiritual fortification are desperate and vulnerable. The so-called native doctors take advantage of them and charge them huge sums of money. They use the ritual as a pretext to extort and enrich themselves. So the ‘native doctors’ get financially fortified while their clients end up impoverished. Spiritual fortification makes people weak financially. It leads to destitution and death.
Spiritual fortification is another spiritual scam! It is a bogus and harmful practice. Nigerians, nay Africans should desist from indulging in such practices now
Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches