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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Humanist scholar Dr Leo Igwe has urged the German government to expand its global advocacy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) beyond the Christian community in Nigeria to include non-believers, alleged witches and persons with albinism.
Igwe, who is Vice-President of Humanists International and Director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), made the call today in Berlin in a statement delivered to the German Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Mr Thomas Rachel.
In a paper titled “Freedom of Religion/Belief: Beyond Christian Genocide in Nigeria,” Igwe thanked Germany for its commitment to FoRB and recalled German support during the campaign to free Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala, who was jailed for blasphemy and now lives safely in Germany.
Responding to the ongoing controversy over killings and kidnappings in Nigeria, Igwe said there is an ongoing Christian genocide in the country, but noted it was not the whole story.
“Is there an ongoing Christian genocide in Nigeria? Of course the answer is an emphatic yes. But Sir, Christian genocide is not the whole story. It is also a genocide of unbelievers,” Igwe stated.
He said Nigeria at independence inherited a form of jihadist Islam promoted with force and violence, where not only Christians but also other Muslims, traditional worshippers and “real or imagined non-believers” have been targeted.
Igwe said while FoRB is enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution, non-belief is seen as haram (forbidden) by the Muslim establishment, and inciting hate and violence against non-believers is commonplace. He called for the repeal of blasphemy and apostasy laws enforced under Sharia in parts of Nigeria and Africa.
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“Sir, freedom of religion or belief is incomplete without recognising the rights of humanists and other non-religious persons,” he said.
Igwe also drew attention to what he described as pervasive abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks across Africa, India and Papua New Guinea.
“Too many people, including persons with albinism, suffer as a result of witchcraft and ritualistic beliefs. Accused persons are attacked and killed with impunity daily,” he said, noting victims are mainly women, children, elderly persons and people living with disabilities.
He cited the 2020 launch of a decade of activism by Advocacy for Alleged Witches to end witch hunts in Africa by 2030 and the 2021 UN resolution urging states to take measures against abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks. He appealed for robust support from the German government to achieve the goal.
Igwe highlighted specific cases in Nigeria including Adijat Pereira, who was allegedly murdered for rituals while asleep; Arit Inyang, who disappeared after being accused of witchcraft and allegedly thrown into a river; Obiageli Ottih, a traditional worshipper being prosecuted for witchcraft; and Samaila Bala, a school teacher jailed three times since 2020 for witchcraft and juju.
He also cited the cases of Leonard Phiri and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde in Zambia who were arrested, prosecuted and jailed for witchcraft.
According to Igwe, state and non-state actors, including churches and mosques, fuel and weaponise witchcraft beliefs for political and economic gains, while police and court officers are often complicit in persecuting the accused and shielding perpetrators.
He said these cases were only the tip of the iceberg of faith-based abuses linked to FoRB in the region and expressed hope for continued collaboration with the German envoy.
