…Celebrates 2024 World Day Against Witch Hunts In Grand Style
In reality, witches and wizards do not exist.
This is according to Dr. Leo Igwe, the Executive Director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW).
Dr. Igwe, who made the assertion during the 2024 World Day Against Witch Hunts, held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, bemoaned the spate of witch hunting across the world including the West.
He said, “Demon hunt persists in western churches. Attribution of illness, death and other misfortunes to the devil, and performance of exorcism on those deemed possessed have not ceased.”
Dr. Igwe noted that many western governments and churches had apologized for their roles in witch hunting in early modern Europe.
He cited the example of a Catholic Church in Switzerland that abolished its exorcism ministry.
The bishop of the church, according to Dr Igwe, described alleged cases of demonic possession as a psychological and social distress that require classical solutions of a medical, psychological and psychotherapeutic nature.
Dr. Igwe condemned the attack, torture and killing of innocent people mainly children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities in the name of witchcraft, describing it as an abuse of one’s fundamental human rights, that could land perpetrators to jail.
He called for concerted efforts and initiatives to remedy past and present mistakes and injustices codified in accusation, persecution and execution of suspected witches and wizards.
He stressed that religious, cultural, political, economic and social encumbrances had continued to hamper efforts to realize a witch hunting free Nigeria and Africa, and promised that AFAW would not relent in it’s determination to end the campaign of abuse and violence against innocent citizens.
Dr Igwe regretted that many incidents of witch-hunting had been linked to pastors, priests, diviners, imams, prophets, and prophetesses, who claim to have powers to identify and overwhelm ‘witches’, and charged Religious Leaders to turn a new leaf and brace up to the challenges of ending witchcraft accusations and witch persecution.
Imo State Acting Coordinator of National Human Rights Commission, Mrs. Justina Okeke said witchcraft accusation was a violation of human right and advised victims to report to the commission for immediate action.
A Scholar in Religion, Prof. Nwaocha Ogechukwu said differentiating humanism from atheism was a difficult puzzle to solve due to individual belief systems in Igboland, and advised that the issue of witchcraft be addressed through a circular policy.
“If you bring in atheism into humanism, you conflict with people’s faith”, Prof Nwaocha explained, while stressing the need to consider the belief of an atheist and that of a humanist in other to make a very good conclusion.
Answering questions on ‘flying witches’, Prof. Nwaocha described the magic and superstition of flying by witches as an imaginative fantasy and encouraged organizers of the programme, AFAW, to ensure an anti-witch bill to further drive their advocacy.
Some of the participants on the occasion including those who have accused, and those, accused of witchcraft, shared their experiences and pledged their support towards ending violence against persons in the name of witchcraft accusation.
A victim, Mr. Nzeobi Livinus lamented how he was falsely accused of killing his brother through witchcraft and was dragged on social media after he was humiliated and paraded by members of his community.
In a goodwill message made available to Journalists, Chairman of the Board of Trustees – Safe Child Africa, Gary Foxcroft, said witch hunting practice against vulnerable members of society was one of the gravest human right issues in the world and expressed the hope that witchcraft accusation and persecution would be a thing of the past, soon, through concerted efforts of concerned citizens.
An activist, Mr. Ike Anyanike, Esq. applauded participants at the event for choosing “reason and critical thinking over mindless belief in phantoms that unfortunately induce people to kill, demean, impoverish and sow seeds of discord and anguish amongst families, neighbors and communities.”
Prof Dede Konkwo of Imo State University was among the notable personalities at the event, that also featured exhibition and other side attractions.