Prosecute Helen Ukpabio and Liberty Gospel Church for Alleging Witchcraft and Fueling Witch Persecution

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches urges the Nigerian authorities to prosecute the country's notorious witch hunter Helen Ukpabio and her Liberty Gospel Church. AfAW is raising this alarm following the announcement of an event, Freedom from Witchcraft Attacks by this infamous evangelist and her church. The event, which will be held from May 8th to 12th 2024 at the Liberty Gospel Church premises in Calabar, Cross River state, incites hatred and violence against alleged witches. As the poster says, the "Covens are in trouble, as witches are in the run". So this event will be used to force people to attack, banish or abuse any suspected witches in their communities. Ukpabio claims to be an ex-witch that is on a mission to identify 'witches' and neutralize "witchcraft attacks". Her home movies and church activities as in this case, have been linked to the pervasive problem of child and adult witch persecution in the area.

Ukpabio spreads false and misleading narratives that link illness, poverty and business failures, infertility, and child development issues to 'witchcraft attacks'. She fuels witchcraft fears and poisons family and community relationships with her baseless witchcraft claims. Witchcraft accusation is a crime under the Nigerian law. It is an offense against the state for anybody to impute witchcraft as Helen Ukpabio and her Liberty Gospel Church have done with impunity over the years. The Cross River state Child Rights Law 2023 states, "Any person, group of persons corporate or unincorporated or organization of whatever description who alleges, threatens or accuses a child of being a witch or wizard commits an offense and is liable on conviction to 10 years imprisonment with hard labor or a fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) or both.

(2) Where an offender under subsection (1) of this section is a corporate or unincorporated body or an organization of whatever description, the directors, promoters or anybody apparently promoting the ideals of the association or body shall on conviction be jointly and severally liable to the punishment specified in subsection (1) of this section.

42. (1) Any person, group of persons, corporate body, or organization of whatever description who in the process of purporting to cure, purge, or exorcise a child of witchcraft, subjects the child to any form of torture, trial by ordeal or inhuman treatment commits an offence and is liable on conviction to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) or both.

(2) Where an offender under subsection 1 of this section is a corporate or unincorporated body or organization of whatever description, its directors, promoters or trustees, or persons in apparent authority shall on conviction be jointly and severally liable to the punishment specified in subsection 1.

(3) It shall not be a defence that the child confessed to being a witch or wizard.

(4) In addition to the punishment specified under subsection (1) of this section, the state may seal up the premises for a period of six months pending the application to a magistrate for forfeiture of the premises.

(5) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, the state may apply to a magistrate court for an order of forfeiture of premises used for kidnapping, molestation of children, or other offence under this section.

(6) In this section, “Torture” includes physical, mental, and emotional trauma.

(7) The governor or his authorized representative shall have the power to sign an order authorizing the temporal sealing up of premises not exceeding seven (7) days that he reasonably suspects to hold or harbour kidnapped, enslaved, maltreated or tortured children".

As a matter of urgency, imputers and allegers of witchcraft like Ukpabio and her Liberty Gospel Church should be made to answer for their crimes. They should be brought to justice. A message of deterrence should be sent to other witch-hunting pastors and churches in the region. Nigeria should show the world that it is a nation of laws; and has the capacity and will to enforce its laws.

Cross River state, nay Nigeria cannot claim to be committed to combating abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs while allowing Ukpabio and her Liberty Gospel Church to continue fueling witchcraft fears, witchcraft accusations, and witch persecution in the region.

Let's end witch hunts in Cross River. Let's stop the witch-hunting activities of Helen Ukpabio and her Liberty Gospel Church now!

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches which aims to end witch hunts in Africa by 2030