The murder of Mrs. Martina for witchcraft shames us all By LEO IGWE

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches condemns the brutal murder of Mrs. Martina, locally known as Aki Iyak, for witchcraft on Saturday, June 24, 2023. The tragic incident happened in a community, Old Netim, in Cross River state in Southern Nigeria.

Local sources told AfAW that Martina was accused following an accident on June 13. Two young men, Ojong Ogar and Asikpi Ogar, died as a result of the accident.

Following the incident, some youths accused Martina of witchcraft. She tried to flee the community and went and took refuge at her daughter’s house. But the mob went there; they seized and tortured her to confess to being responsible for the accident.

They cut her into pieces and burnt the remains. The police tried to intervene, but the mob resisted the police. The police turned back.

AfAW is making efforts to reach relatives of victims, and to support them at this time. Witchcraft accusations and witch persecutions are pervasive in Cross River state. People tend to blame their misfortunes, including poverty, accidents, illness, and death on occult forces. They consult local diviners, and self-acclaimed prophets and prophetesses who certify magical causations and their perpetrators. As in the case of Martina, accusers met out jungle justice on alleged witches. They torture the accused to death and burn their corpses. Police interventions come too little too late, that is, if the police intervene at all. This pattern of response has been ineffective and unhelpful. This mode of addressing cases of witchcraft accusations and witch persecution has persisted. AfAW calls for a change in approach, and the way that authorities respond to cases of witch persecution in the region.

First, in communities, like Old Netim, where witchcraft beliefs are strong, and witch hunting frequently occurs, state authorities should be more present. They should be ready to intervene at the shortest notice. State authorities should liaise with community leaders and put in place early warning and monitoring facilities, especially when tragedies such as sudden deaths, accidents, or protracted illnesses occur. In the case of Martina, the community leaders of Old Netim, or the clan head, Ntufam Richard Njong Orok, should have alerted the police on time. They should have informed the police before the tension escalated.

The police and community leaders should have taken measures to nip the situation in the bud. They should have called a meeting when the accident occurred and urged against witchcraft allegations and witch-hunting. The community leaders should have acted and dispelled the rumors before they turned into violent actions. The clan head should have helped relocate the accused. He should have supported her to flee to a part of the area where it would be difficult for her accusers to reach or harm her. Witchcraft accusation is a matter of life and death. State and community leaders should take urgent steps to protect the accused and prevent horrific abuse, torture and murder of the innocent in the name of witchcraft.