Wicked

Five Nigerian men who murdered a woman they accused of witchcraft were sentenced to death by hanging in the northern state of Kano this week, underscoring how traditional beliefs continue to clash with modern Nigeria, the BBC reported.

The five men had been accused of attacking Dahare Abubakar, 67, on her farm in 2023, beating and stabbing her to death, after the wife of one of the suspects had a dream in which the deceased was pursuing her. They were apprehended soon after.

This case riveted Nigeria, where in rural areas, the persecution or killing of an individual because they are suspected of witchcraft is still a common occurrence. Often, attacks arise after an individual blames another for using witchcraft to cause their misfortune, for example, an illness or a death in the family.

Belief in witchcraft is widespread across Africa. However, in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and South Africa, elderly people are often accused of being witches as a pretext for killing them and seizing their land, the BBC reported last year.

In countries like Nigeria, activists are working to put an end to such accusations and help protect the accused.

Meanwhile, even as prosecutors hoped the verdict would serve as a deterrent, the lawyer for the perpetrators said they would appeal.