By Sophia Afolabi
A 92-year-old man from Umuadara Village in Umulogho, Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, has appealed to relevant authorities for intervention after he was allegedly ostracised by his community over accusations that he used witchcraft to cause the death of his relative.
The elderly man, Isikaku, was accused of spiritually causing the death of Barrister Joseph Ohakpo amid a dispute over land.
He made the appeal when the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), led by its Executive Director, Dr Leo Igwe, visited him at his residence.
Speaking with the AfAW team, Isikaku reportedly broke down in tears while recounting what he described as years of physical, emotional and psychological suffering following the allegation.
He said he had maintained a good relationship with the deceased and rejected claims that he had anything to do with his death.
According to him, Ohakpo had suffered from chronic heart disease, which caused his legs to swell and eventually required surgery.
Isikaku said despite the deceased’s known health condition, some members of the community accused him of using spiritual means to kill Ohakpo because of their alleged land dispute.
He said the allegation had resulted in his exclusion from the community and subjected him to what he described as serious violations of his fundamental rights.
The AfAW team also visited another alleged victim of witchcraft accusations in the community, Ichie Livinus Okonkwo, who said he was accused of causing the death of his nephew in Vietnam simply by speaking to the wind.
Okonkwo said his nephew was stabbed to death in Vietnam by his former girlfriend following a confrontation over an alleged failed promise of marriage.
He explained that the Nigerian Embassy in Vietnam later informed him of the circumstances surrounding the death because he was the deceased’s guardian.
According to Okonkwo, the woman allegedly responsible for the killing was prosecuted in Vietnam, while compensation was subsequently paid to the deceased’s family.
He, however, said despite the circumstances surrounding the death, some youths in his community were allegedly incited against him and subjected him to humiliation and other forms of abuse over the witchcraft accusation.
Okonkwo questioned how he could have been responsible for a death that occurred thousands of kilometres away, particularly when the circumstances of the incident had already been investigated and established by the relevant authorities.
Both men called for an end to what they described as unfounded beliefs and accusations capable of destroying individuals, families and longstanding community relationships.
They expressed appreciation to AfAW for visiting them and appealed to the organisation to intervene in their cases and similar situations involving people allegedly persecuted over witchcraft accusations.
They also called for increased public awareness and stronger institutional intervention to protect individuals from discrimination, ostracism and other forms of abuse arising from unsubstantiated claims of witchcraft.
Responding, AfAW pledged to support the two men by engaging the community leadership and appealing for their full reintegration.
The organisation also said it would seek to ensure that the victims’ fundamental rights were restored and that they were no longer subjected to persecution over the allegations.
