Witchcraft Accusation, Persecution and Violence against Women and Children: Evidence from a Nigerian community
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Abstract
This study investigates witchcraft-related violence against women and children in Ikot Abasi community of Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. The possible factors that have promoted such violence form the central subject of the study. The study employed a survey research design. Convenience and purposive sampling methods were adopted to select 149 and 5 participants respectively; interview was the instrument employed for data collection and thematic analysis was the method adopted in the analyses of the data. The findings indicate a widespread belief in the existence and the effects of witchcraft on individuals’ lives among the people of Ikot Abasi community, and such beliefs have promoted a subjective accusation and provoked animosity against women and children accused. The study concludes that the premises that form the basis for witchcraft accusations are baseless and unjustified because there are no clear measures that can be used to determine if a person is possessed. Also, the major factors that shaped participants’ views on witchcraft and its accusation and that make women and children vulnerable are traditional and religious institutions, increasing liberation of women, physical disability among others. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a public enlightenment and campaigns against the danger in, and implications of associating problems to witchcraft.
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