Policing Witch killing  and Justice System in Rivers State

By Leo Igwe

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) welcomes the arrest of Nwalozie Chiwendu who allegedly murdered his brother Chidiebere Isaiah in Ofeh Omuma in Rivers state on February 12 2026. According to local sources, Chiwendu fled the community after the incident. But the police arrested him in Owerrenta in Abia state on February 25, 2026. AfAW commends the police for their diligent intervention in this case. The arrest of Chiwendu sends a clear message that there are real consequences for jungle justice, and those who take laws into their hands. His apprehension has made it clear that those who accuse people of witchcraft and consequently attack or murder them will be made to answer for their crimes. Witch persecution and murder persist in Nigeria due to impunity, and because perpetrators are seldom brought to book.

Meanwhile, witchcraft accusation is against the law in Nigeria. Accusers could be fined or sent to jail. Murder is a capital offence. Unfortunately these criminal provisions are not enforced. In many cases people who accuse and then murder alleged witches get away with their crimes. They are not arrested or prosecuted. Affected families do not report to the police and when people petition the police, no arrest is made. No investigation is done because police officers expect petitioners to pay or mobilize them before they can intervene or investigate any complaint. Even when police arrest suspects, the investigation process is compromised. The police release suspects after collecting huge sums for their bail. Police corruption frustrates efforts to bring witch hunters to justice. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches appeals to the police not to compromise the investigation or prosecution of Chiwendu. The police should become partners in ending witch hunts in the country.

Family sources said that Chiwendu, who dropped out of primary school, accused the brother of being responsible for his lack of progress. In February, Chidi started molding some blocks which he planned to use in erecting a new apartment. But Chiwendu became envious and claimed that this development was indicative of progress at his expense. He accused the brother of placing a spiritual baby that cried every night in his house disturbing his sleep, and peace. On that fateful day, Chiwendu attacked and matcheted his brother resulting in serious injuries. Chidi later passed away.

Following the arrest of Chiwendu, the police visited the family in Ofeh for some investigation and to gather information about this tragic incident. Advocates visited the community and extended some support to the widow and children. While in the community, advocates noticed that Chiwendu’s apartment had been demolished and set ablaze. AfAW will continue to monitor this case because the family of Chidi needs justice. Victims of witch persecution in Rivers state need justice. And the police should ensure that Chiwendu and others involved in this henious crime are prosecuted and punished.

Witch hunting must stop. Witch hunters must be stopped in Rivers state and beyond.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches

Leo Igwe

Leo Igwe (born July 26, 1970) is a Nigerian human rights advocate and humanist. Igwe is a former Western and Southern African representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, and has specialized in campaigning against and documenting the impacts of child witchcraft accusations. He holds a Ph.D from the Bayreuth International School of African Studies at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, having earned a graduate degree in Philosophy from the University of Calabar in Nigeria. Igwe’s human rights advocacy has brought him into conflict with high-profile witchcraft believers, such as Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries, because of his criticism of what he describes as their role in the violence and child abandonment that sometimes result from accusations of witchcraft. His human rights fieldwork has led to his arrest on several occasions in Nigeria. Igwe has held leadership roles in the Nigerian Humanist Movement, Atheist Alliance International, and the Center For Inquiry—Nigeria. In 2012, Igwe was appointed as a Research Fellow of the James Randi Educational Foundation, where he continues working toward the goal of responding to what he sees as the deleterious effects of superstition, advancing skepticism throughout Africa and around the world. In 2014, Igwe was chosen as a laureate of the International Academy of Humanism and in 2017 received the Distinguished Services to Humanism Award from the International Humanist and Ethical Union. Igwe was raised in southeastern Nigeria, and describes his household as being strictly Catholic in the midst of a “highly superstitious community,” according to an interview in the Gold Coast Bulletin.[1] At age twelve, Igwe entered the seminary, beginning to study for the Catholic priesthood, but later was confused by conflicting beliefs between Christian theology and the beliefs in witches and wizards that are “entrenched in Nigerian society.”[1] After a period of research and internal conflict due to doubts about the “odd blend of tribalism and fundamentalist Christianity he believes is stunting African development,” a 24-year-old Igwe resigned from the seminary and relocated to Ibadan, Nigeria