Girl Burned to Death in Nigeria after Witchcraft Allegation

Police in Nigeria say a 60-year-old man burned a young girl to death after accusing her of being a witch. Allegations of witchcraft in Nigeria can be very dangerous.

Police say they’ve arrested 60-year-old Yakubu Vong for luring an eight-year-old girl to his house in the village of Sabon Layi in north-central Plateau State, dousing her with lamp oil, and setting her ablaze.

Plateau State police spokesman Emmanuel Abuh says police believe he attacked the girl because she refused to admit to him that she was a witch.

While much of public religious life centers around Christianity and Islam, traditional beliefs are still prevalent in Nigeria.

Ishaya Bajama is a civil rights activist who works in Plateau State. He says spiritual healers often use allegations of witchcraft to explain mental or physical illnesses that communities might not be familiar with, or might not have the money or ability to treat.

“A lot of things that people don’t have solution for, they are always ascribed to spiritual problems. But a lot of it has to do with social sickness or social misfit," said Bajama.

Girl Burned to Death in Nigeria after Witchcraft Allegation