By Biodun Busari

The Director, Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), Dr Leo Igwe has warned Nigerians to stop hounding old people plagued with dementia as witches.

Igwe said European countries that started persecution of old people as witches because of their suffering from dementia have stopped the despicable act.

He, then, urged Nigerians, especially those residing in remote places to stop the harassment and maltreatment of old people as witches.

The human rights activist said this in an opinion on Wednesday, titled: ‘World Day against Witch Hunts: People with Dementia are not Witches’ ahead of August 10 dedicated for World Day against Witch Hunts.

He said, “The Advocacy for Alleged Witches welcomes this development and urges countries to mark this important day, and try to highlight past and contemporary sufferings and abuses of alleged witches in different parts of the globe.

“Witchcraft belief is a silent killer of persons. Witchcraft accusation is a form of death sentence in many places. People suspected of witchcraft, especially women and children, are banished, persecuted, and murdered in over 40 countries across the globe. Unfortunately, this tragic incident has not been given the attention it deserves.

“Considered a thing of the past in Western countries, this vicious phenomenon has been minimized. Witch persecution is not treated with urgency. It is not considered a global priority.

“Meanwhile, witch hunting rages across Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The misconceptions that characterized witch hunting in early modern Europe have not disappeared. Witchcraft imaginaries and other superstitions still grip the minds of people with force and ferocity.

“Reinforced by traditional, Christian, Islamic, and Hindu religious dogmas, occult fears and anxieties are widespread. Many people make sense of death, illness, and other misfortunes using the narratives of witchcraft and malevolent magic. Witch hunters operate with impunity in many countries, including nations with criminal provisions against witchcraft accusations and jungle justice.”