Leo Igwe, Nigerian founder & CEO of Advocacy for Alleged Witches, explains the work behind his organisational posters; flags Helen Ukpabio for violence
On behalf of Thoughtfox, Dr. Piyush Mathur held a virtual interview last week with Dr. Leo Igwe, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW)—a non-governmental organisation that operates as an affiliate of the Nigeria-registered Critical Thinking Social Empowerment Foundation, which Dr. Igwe directs. Thoughtfox had been curious about how AfAW operates on the ground and what insights people unfamiliar with its activities could gain from an in-depth interview with its founder.
Dr. Mathur conducted this interview over the course of four days (July 10-14) via email, supplementing it through preliminary and follow-up LinkedIn interactions with Dr. Igwe. The interview transcript has been lightly edited for grammar, punctuation, precision, and flow. If you wish to post a public comment on this interview, you could scroll down to the bottom for the Comments box; if you wish to contact Thoughtfox in regard to this interview, click here.
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Mathur: For a while now, people have been seeing intermittent notices or posters in the social media regarding 'Community Activity/Workshop' meetings organised by Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), an organisation you founded in Nigeria in 2020. These meetings tend to take place in different parts of Africa, and are also supported by some other organisations and individuals. While those aware of your long-standing activism and philosophical writings (published on journalistic outlets) could make guesses about what happens in these meetings, these posters themselves do not reveal that much—though they sure make the digital reader curious (if in many cases because that reader might have very little clue to the ground realities of Africa). Against that backdrop, and given that I have never been to any of these meetings, could you please tell us their primary goals?
Dr. Leo Igwe, second from the left (for the viewer), photographed in March 2023 (Photo credit: Cliff Simeon, public post on Facebook dated March 23, 2023)
Igwe: You are right. Our meetings and events are local and have been localized. Before now, meetings were mainly internationalized: They spoke about an insider issue to an outsider with virtually no stake in change. Organisers, mainly outsiders, had one interest: to explain and describe the phenomenon, not to tackle or eradicate vicious practices associated with witchcraft beliefs. The localization is necessary so that we can address the real issues. Our events are action and intervention focused; they are change-oriented. They are organised to mobilize and catalyze shifts in attitudes and transformations within and from within. Our events speak mainly to the attendees and insiders, those who are familiar with the issues at stake.
For example, at a local meeting recently in Lagos, Nigeria, the attendees came to know how they could combat abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks. They came to fill gaps in action, not in debates and scholarship. At the meeting, an overview of the situation was presented. The triggers and drivers of child, women, elder witch allegations were explored. Some cases of witch hunts were presented—including details related to how these cases had been managed or mismanaged, depending. The attendees also discussed their experiences and some instances of accusations that they had suffered or witnessed. The participants brainstormed and proffered ideas and solutions to the problems.
Though not an African word, the term ‘witchcraft’ evokes fear and panic in many parts of Africa. And any event on witchcraft, if not properly managed, could lead to violent attacks or disruptions. In 2019, Christian university students protested an event on witchcraft belief and practices on a campus in southern Nigeria: They mischaracterised it as a gathering of witches. In September 2022, the police disrupted and stopped our seminar on witchcraft accusations in Benue state, central Nigeria, for the same reasons.
Yes, sometimes our posters are a bit vague. How we frame our posters depends on whom we are partnering with. For example, in the case of the event that we recently held in Lagos, some organisations had preferred that the terms ‘witchcraft’ or ‘witch’ not be mentioned on the poster, to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the event. When we organise our events alone, we are clear about the focus and what would be discussed—but when we co-organise an event with other groups, we try to integrate their concerns into our agenda.
Mathur: Now, these meetings include workshops also. But the average netizen doesn't have a direct grasp of the concept of a workshop, leave aside within this specific realm. So, could you please outline a typical agenda or structure of one of these workshops? What activities take place in them, in practical terms?
Igwe: Let us not waste energies in labels, or expend energies discussing whether these events are workshops or seminars or lectures as important as these concepts could be. Let us take for example the Lagos workshop. The attendees were representatives of other NGOs and social workers. The goal was to get the participants to understand the intersection between witchcraft accusations and peace/human rights in the communities. An overview of the problem was presented and cases were used to illustrate the problem, followed by discussions of experiences, suggestions and propositions of solutions going forward.
Mathur: Are these meetings-cum-workshops open to all always? What sorts of people tend to attend them as audience-cum-participants?
Igwe: These meetings are open to all to participate and contribute to the discussions. State and non-state actors, teachers and students, lawyers and doctors, religious and community leaders attend them.
Mathur: From the organising side, how does AfAW source the main contributors?
Igwe: We source contributors based on the topic and focus of the event. If we are focusing on education, we invite teachers and students. In our community outreaches, we target chiefs and other community members. If we are focusing on the role of the state, we invite the police, court officials and other state actors.
A drive against witch hunting
Mathur: How do you address the issue of witchcraft allegations during these workshops? One thing that I notice, at least from the posters, is that your drive is against witchcraft allegations rather than against a belief in witchcraft itself—and yet, there are surely people who promote these types of beliefs and practices. Instead of going any further on this myself (given that I don't have full details), may I request you to throw some light on this matter?
Igwe: As I have noted, we are interested in the actions: what people do in the name of witchcraft, the harm that is perpetrated, the abuses that are committed. We are interested in the belief as expressed. These actions and expressions are materials for education, persuasion and enlightenment. We engage those who peddle the beliefs and narratives. We debate them at these meetings. We critically evaluate the beliefs during our programmes. We highlight how these mistaken notions drive and motivate harmful and criminal practices.
A recent poster, circulated across the social media, for an event held at Lagos, Nigeria by Leo Igwe’s Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW)
Mathur: The thing is, one could think of this in terms of two camps: victims of witchcraft allegations, and actual believers in the notion of witchcraft/black magic who also happen to promote it as such…
Igwe: I speak to the situation on the ground—and what I think applies or does not apply there. My camps and categories are based on the cases and incidents that happen here. Those who make allegations of witchcraft against others have some beliefs and are motivated by some ideas; those who victimize alleged witches do so based on some notions and (mis)conceptions. By framing their ideas as mistaken we try to persuade them and reorient them. By getting them to realize their misperceptions, we try to educate and enlighten them. We get them to see no causal links or connections where they have been made to believe that there are strong causal links.
Actual believers in witchcraft who are not alleging, persecuting or abusing others are not of interest to us. As it stands now, allegations of (not necessarily a belief in) witchcraft are the issue because a belief expressed as an allegation against another incites hatred and violence.
We have to understand that there are two main narratives of witchcraft. Witchcraft as a tradition or faith, which is the Wiccan narrative; and witchcraft as a causal explanation of harm or misfortune, which is the witch-hunting narrative—and this narrative drives persecutions and abuses in the region. Some people have misconstrued our advocacy as a campaign against Wicca and the like: It is not. Wiccans and the like do not persecute alleged witches. We support their rights to the freedoms of belief, traditions.
As in the early modern Europe, we are interested in debunking and invalidating the witch-hunting narrative. We are committed to weakening the grip of this narrative on the minds of Africans. We use the legal provision that criminalizes witchcraft accusation but does not recognize 'witchcraft'. It is only when the witch-hunting narrative is invalidated and no longer taken seriously that Wiccans can engage in their practices safely. Right now, Wiccans cannot freely profess or practice their faith or belief in many parts of Africa because many Africans believe in the reality, validity and factuality of the witch-hunting narrative.
Mathur: It is tricky, and there is more to this than we can discuss here, I suppose (say, for example, the potential for harm caused by those who themselves claim to have metaphysical powers of casting spells and so forth, instead of having been alleged by others of having such powers)—and I can appreciate the fact of your having to set your priorities a certain way. What educational materials or methods do you use to convey your message effectively?
Igwe: First and foremost, we use cases of witch hunts to educate and persuade the public. We use the experiences of victims to understand what works, what to do and how to respond to allegations of witchcraft. We use legal and human rights provisions to enlighten the people and create awareness. We also invite legal and medical experts to share their knowledge and guide in these discussions.
Challenges and their solutions
Mathur: What are some of the common challenges you face when organising and conducting these meetings?
Igwe: There is always a tendency for our meetings to be misconstrued and tagged ‘meetings of witches’. It is as if they are tagged this way to ensure that nobody would attend these meetings. So we always have a challenge mobilizing people to attend and getting them to discard their misconceptions—especially the misconception that our meetings promote 'witchcraft', or are gatherings of witches and wizards. Witch hunters like Helen Ukpabio and her Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries, other witch hunters and witchcraft accusers are unhappy with our campaigns. They market and exploit the narrative of witchcraft. The witch hunters oppose our conventions and threaten to attack us and disrupt our activities. For instance Ukpabio and her church members physically attacked me when we organised a seminar in Calabar in 2009. They have been sponsoring smear campaigns linking me to corruption and financial scandals that I knew nothing about.
Mathur: You, your allies, are no doubt up against a few powerful forces and belief systems. Does this scenario generate a feeling of insecurity for you, your organisation and other local allies?
Helen Ukpabio, flagged by Dr. Leo Igwe for accusing others of witchcraft, violently persecuting them and their advocates (including Dr. Igwe) (This is a screenshot of a publicly available photograph—dated to October 9, 2022—from the Facebook page titled ‘Liberty Gospel Church Palace Temple’.)
Igwe: One of the few powerful forces is Helen Ukpabio. She profits from witchcraft imputations and exorcism. She has a lot of money to sponsor smearing campaigns—including sponsoring publications that defame me and my advocacy work.There are other powerful witch hunters in the region whom we are up against. Even as I am responding to these interview questions, my allies and I are trying to gain access to over ten persons accused of witchcraft in Izzi in Ebonyi in Soisuthern Nigeria. Their accusers had abducted and tortured them; the police had rescued the accused, and they had returned to their communities. But now the rescued cannot travel to report at the police station because the accusers have threatened to kill them if they left the area. These people are being held hostage; negotiations are going on. It is unsafe for me or any of our advocates to go there and try to intervene. We are discussing with local actors how to help and resolve the issue. Our goal is not only to end abuses linked to witch hunting but also to bring to justice those who make it unsafe, insecure and risky for activists and campaigners to do their work.
Mathur: Are there any strategies or techniques you’ve found particularly effective in overcoming these challenges?
Igwe: We identify local advocates, mobilize and empower them. We listen to them and work with them as partners—not as patrons—in organising events and in responding to the problems.
If you look at our posters, you will notice that the themes are framed differently even though they correspond to the same topic, broadly speaking. We have different approaches and we always adjust, adapt our strategies and techniques to suit the situations and realities on the ground. Focusing on the impact of accusations has been more effective than a critical analysis of witchcraft narratives and getting people to understand the non-existent, superstitious and imaginary nature of witches as popularly believed. Using provisions under the law and human rights has been helpful. Also, we try to persuade people by getting them to understand that witch persecution is not unique to Africa; that Europeans and Americans persecuted and killed alleged witches centuries ago; that churches and governments in the West are apologizing for their roles in this historic miscarriage of justice; and that churches are regretting the part they played in this infamous campaign.
Impact & long-term outlook
Mathur: That does bring greater clarity to your priorities—and I thank you for that. How do you measure the impact of your workshops on the communities you engage with?
Igwe: The impact is difficult to measure because witchcraft accusations are rooted in cultural, religious and traditional beliefs. Witch hunts happen behind family and community walls. Powerful members of the society perpetrate, sanction or sanctify them. So, for us it has been a slow and steady process. The impact of our workshops has been significant but we are not there yet. It is more challenging for us in communities that have seen witch hunts because these communities are often tensed, and our advocacy work is seen to be supporting and enabling the accused.
But we have had cases where the accused have been rescued, the banished returned and have been reintegrated. Our workshops have been an eye opener for the people in such cases: They have brought relief to victims and their relatives; they have informed many about what to do, whom to contact and how to respond to witchcraft accusations.
Today, in places where we have organised our workshops people are less inclined to resign to accusations and persecutions. Some people know in these regions that there is an organisation that is watching and monitoring—-and it is, and will no longer be, business as usual for witch hunters and witch persecutors there.
Mathur: Can you share any specific success stories or positive outcomes from these workshops?
Igwe: In 2022, we reconvened our seminar after the police disrupted and stopped it. Due to that incident and discussions at the workshop, many people understood the mission of AfAW. They corrected their mistaken ideas about our advocacy campaign. The police, and other state agencies are now working with us and cooperating fully to address the problem.
At the rescheduled event that year, a man who suffered witch persecution came to the meeting, recounted his experiences and received support. A woman who had heard about our workshop and AfAW drew our attention to an incident whereby a man was set ablaze for witchcraft. We worked with the police to get the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.
At the recent event in Lagos, someone drew our attention to a church group in Nigeria that beat children with brooms during exorcism. We plan to take up that matter.
Abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs continue because of impunity, because perpetrators get away with their crimes. Victims do not know whom to go to for effective help and support. And now that is changing. When we started AfAW, I used to go to police stations looking for cases of accusations; but now I do not do that. Our workshops have been useful in connecting us to victims or getting relatives of victims to contact us for help.
A poster for Advocacy for Alleged Witches’ (AfAW’s) upcoming meeting, slated for August 10, 2024
Mathur: Are there any particular experiences or moments from these meetings specifically that have profoundly impacted you personally?
Igwe: Yes. there have been a few moments like that…moments when victims or their relatives recount their experiences. Some such moments impacted me positively; others, negatively. At our workshop in Calabar, two young women recounted how witch hunters abducted and murdered their mothers in cold blood. I was inspired by how they had been coping with the trauma, and how they had been healing.
In Lagos, an attendee narrated how an elderly woman was accused, locked up in a room where she starved to death. A participant told us how she had refused to support an allegation that her mother-in-law was a witch, and went and visited her against the instructions of other relatives.
In Uyo, I was moved by the stories of the judges and magistrates who courageously interpreted the law as it should be; ruled to protect the accused; and delivered justice to the accusers.
I have been impacted by acts of courage and heroism, and moved by the defiance of other activists who resisted witch hunters.
Mathur: How do you ensure that the changes and improvements from the workshops are sustainable in the long term—and what are your future plans for expanding or enhancing these advocacy efforts?
Igwe: The plan is to make every African (or at least a critical mass of Africans) an advocate for victims of witchcraft accusations and persecution. Once we achieve that milestone, the changes and improvements we want will have become sustainable. Every African family, school, community, government institution, politician, chief, priest, imam, teacher, student, and taxi driver, etc., should be an advocate for victims of witch hunts. That is how these changes will take hold. At the Advocacy for Alleged Witches, our vision is to consign witch hunting (in Africa) to history by 2030. That target remains our North Star in this campaign and struggle.
Mathur: Professor Igwe, you are doing some very important work! Thank you for sharing your experiences with Thoughtfox readers, taking time out of your very busy schedule. We hope to have you back on this platform.
Igwe: Thank you for having me.
Dr. Piyush Mathur taught Communication at the American University of Nigeria through 2006-2008; he is the author of the book Technological Forms and Ecological Communication: A Theoretical Heuristic (Lexington Books, 2017). If you liked this interview, then you might also be interested in this review commentary.