Coalition leads fight against witchcraft branding in Cross River communities

Two Non-Governmental Organisations, the Community Initiative for Peace and Social Development (CIPSD) and Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) have come together to fight against the branding of people as witches in Cross River communities.

Charles Itu, the programme director of CIPSD, said this on Monday during an interview with journalists in Calabar on the coalition’s activities.

Mr Itu said the stigmatisation of individuals, particularly aged persons and children, as witches was becoming worrisome and should be tackled.

Attacks and killings of people accused of witchcraft have remained a major social issue in Cross River.

In the past months, some elderly people in some communities in the state have been beaten and lynched, while children have been abandoned or sent away from their homes on accusations of being witches.

The programme director, Mr Itu, who spoke about visiting different communities in Odukpani, Akamkpa and Yakurr Local Government Areas of Cross River, said such harmful cultural practices continued to erode social cohesion and violate human rights.

According to him, local beliefs often attribute misfortunes, illnesses or deaths to supernatural causes, leading to branding vulnerable individuals as witches.

“This harmful narrative is exacerbated by unregulated traditional healers and spiritualists who exploit these fears for personal gain.

“Aged parents are often ostracised, abused and stripped of the familial support they need mostly during their twilight years while even more heartbreaking is the plight of children accused of witchcraft,” he said.

Speaking further, he stated that such activities were responsible for creating a humanitarian crisis as the children who were left to fend for themselves were exposed to exploitation and deprived of basic education and care.

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He said the practice was not only rooted in traditional beliefs but also fueled by modern evangelical movements that perpetuate fear of spiritual possession, thereby creating vulnerable groups and stalling community development.

He said their campaigns aimed to educate residents about the adverse effects of stigmatisation and harmful traditions on social cohesion and development.

“During our capacity-building sessions, 60 persons across Akamkpa, Odukpani and Yakurr LGAs were trained to serve as peace advocates.

“Across the communities in the three LGAs, we were able to enlighten 744 participants in our three-day campaigns to take the message back to their families,” he said.

(NAN)