Witch Hunter Sues for Freedom of Religion

In much of Sub-Saharan Africa it is widely believed that misfortunes are caused by witches. Anyone might be a witch, but as always suspicion often falls on people incapable of wielding power in other ways. But whereas in Western Europe it was old widows who were most likely to be accused of witchcraft, in Africa it is often children.

The Center for Inquiry, an American skeptical organization, has for years been combating witch beliefs in Africa. Their Nigerian representative has now been sued by a witch hunter who claims that CFI's campaign against witchcraft persecution is interfering with her freedom of religion:

Witch hunter Helen Ukpabio, head of the Liberty Gospel Church in Nigeria and a frequent target of criticism by CFI, has filed a lawsuit in Nigerian federal court against Leo Igwe, CFI's representative in Nigeria. . . .

The complaint filed by Ukpabio essentially alleges religious discrimination on the part of Igwe, who has been a tireless, vocal critic of Ukpabio’s claim that many of Nigeria's children and women are witches. “Ukpabio has repeatedly targeted and persecuted the most vulnerable members of society. She is the one who should face justice and answer for her crimes,” said Igwe. “She should be ready to pay damages to the thousands of children who have been tortured, traumatized, abused and abandoned as a result of her misguided ministry.” Igwe said that many homes and households across Nigeria have been damaged by Ukpabio’s witchcraft schemes and other questionable activities.

The suit, scheduled for a hearing on Dec.17, is seeking an injunction preventing Igwe and other humanist groups from holding seminars or workshops aimed at raising consciousness about the dangers associated with the religious belief in witchcraft. The suit aims to erect a legal barrier against rationalist or humanist groups who might criticize, denounce or otherwise interfere with their practice of Christianity and their “deliverance” of people supposedly suffering from possession of an “evil or witchcraft spirit.” The suit also seeks to prevent law enforcement from arresting or detaining any member of the Liberty Gospel Church for performing or engaging in what they say are constitutionally protected religious activities. These activities include the burning of three children, ages 3 through 6, with fire and hot water, as reported by James Ibor of the Basic Rights Counsel in Nigeria on August 24, 2009. The parents believed their children were witches.

The weird irony of this lawsuit led me to the bizarre tragedy of African children branded witches by their own families and either abandoned or subjected to exorcism rituals that include frightening brutality. The picture above appeared as part of a feature on Nigerian child witches in the Guardian with the caption, "Twin boys Itohowo and Kufre stand surrounded by angry villagers who believe they are bringing evil to their lives." According to the Guardian, the boys were abandoned by their mother at the age of five when she was convinced that they were agents of the devil.

Stepping Stones Nigeria is an NGO which has been working to help and house abandoned children in the Niger delta, including those accused of witchcraft. According to their web site, belief in child witches is increasing across the region, because of competition among witch-baiting Pentacostal preachers and economic insecurity.