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A 38-year-old woman, Gloria Musa, has accused her husband of branding her a witch and sending her out of their home in Bauchi after accusing her of using witchcraft to steal his missing ₦10,000.
Musa, a petty trader, said the incident occurred when her husband claimed that she was responsible for the disappearance of the money and for bringing him bad luck.
Musa while narrating her ordeal at a roundtable discussion held by the Advocacy for Alleged Witches , AFAW in partnership with International Federation of Women Lawyers ( FIDA) in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, said “My husband said I used witchcraft to take the money.
“Before I knew it, his relatives joined him and chased me out of the house.” Musa narrated.
Gloria Musa says she is still battling stigma in her community following the accusation.
“My husband hasn’t taken me back,” she said quietly. “Even my neighbours still whisper when I pass — all because of ₦10,000.”
DAILYPOST reports that the theme of the roundtable discussion centers on ‘’ Witchcraft accusations and Human rights abuses against women and children in Bauchi”
In a message delivered at the roundtable discussion, the Director of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW), Dr. Leo Igwe, decried the continued persecution of women and children based on superstitiom
Igwe said witchcraft accusations remain a serious human rights issue in Nigeria, particularly in Bauchi, where cases of torture, banishment, and killings are still being reported.
“Bauchi is one of the states where abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks are often reported,” he said. “Many of the victims are poor elderly persons and children who cannot defend themselves.
He lamented that, despite modernization and existing legal mechanisms, witchcraft-related abuses persist, with most victims unable to seek redress or hold their accusers accountable.
“In many cases, the accused resign to their fate. They seldom go to court or pursue justice,” Igwe said, describing the situation as “a vicious phenomenon that must be stopped.”
The AFAW Director commended FIDA, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the police for prosecuting some perpetrators of witch hunts in the state, but said more effort was required to address the problem.
He urged participants at the roundtable to intensify advocacy, awareness, and community sensitisation to end the persecution of alleged witches.
“You should not wait until you or your relative is accused before speaking out,” he said. “Everyone is a potential victim. Africa needs to join the rest of the world in making witch-hunting history.”
Igwe dedicated the event to the memory of victims of witchcraft accusations, including Talatu Joshua, Damina Lamba, Hafsat Bala, Sunday Sale, Ezekiel Samaila, and a seven-year-old girl recently attacked in the state.
Also. condemning witchcraft accusations, the Chairperson of FIDA, Bauchi Branch, Hauwa Ahmad Abubakar, said ignorance and poverty were the major causes of such accusations.
“There is nothing like witchcraft in our laws, neither in the constitution nor in the laws of the state,” Abubakar said. “But because people are not aware of their rights and many are idle, they take the law into their hands.”
Abubakar explained that most victims are poor and without family support, making them easy targets. She said the association had handled no fewer than 10 cases of witchcraft-related abuse recently.
“Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Once you harm or kill another person based on witchcraft claims, you will face prosecution,” she warned.
She also urged religious leaders to speak more openly against the practice, noting that both Islam and Christianity do not support witchcraft accusations.
Woman accused of witchcraft by husband over missing N10,000 in Bauchi
