The man battling Nigeria’s 'witch-hunters'
26 October 2024 Share Save Jonathan Griffin & Olaronke Alo BBC Trending, London & Lagos Share Save
Jonathan Griffin / BBC
Activist Leo Igwe is at the forefront of efforts to help people accused of witchcraft in Nigeria, as it can destroy their lives - and even lead to them being lynched. “I could no longer take it. You know, just staying around and seeing people being killed randomly,” Dr Igwe tells the BBC. After completing his doctorate in religious studies in 2017 he was restless. He had written extensively about witchcraft and was frustrated that academia did not allow him to challenge the practice head on. The BBC has seen evidence of Pentecostal pastors in Nigeria holding services targeting alleged witches, a practice Dr Igwe says is not unusual in a country where many people believe in the supernatural. Warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing. So Dr Igwe set up Advocacy For Alleged Witches, an organisation focussed on “using compassion, reason, and science to save lives of those affected by superstition”.
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