Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna has cautioned against too much consciousness of witchcraft, urging its members to rather deepen their faith in God.
The piece of advice followed noticeable increasing activities of native doctors and herbalists through alleged use of witchcraft.
A priest of the diocese of Kafanchan, Rev. Fr. Thomas Adamu, who spoke during the 2025 General Assembly of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna with the theme: ‘Gospel’s Response to Witchcraft’, stressed the need for Christians to embrace the gospel.
Fr. Adamu advised Christians to use the gospel of Jesus Christ to subdue witchcraft, stressing that the federal government should adopt the position of the Anambra State government in arresting all native doctors and decisively tackling demonic herbalists.
He said, “The gospel acknowledged that witchcraft exists, it is there and poses a lot of challenges to the church. One of the elements of witchcraft is the use of magic which can be used positively and does not destroy anybody and is used for protection and others. But the negative magic is to harm other people.
“The gospel says the aspect of the good magic that it frowns at where supernatural powers used are not from the Almighty God. If a magician plugs mango leaves, guava leaves and gives one to drink for malaria, the church has no issue with that. But where a sorcerer uses evil powers in connection with these herbs is where the church has problem. It’s deceptive and exploitative, thereby adding to people’s suffering.
“We believe that the reason Anambra State Governor Professor Charles Soludo arrested some native doctors was because of the harm they put on people in the cause of the practice of their medicine.
“Some of them create more problems than they are trying to solve. Some of them extract people’s eyes and body parts for supernatural powers to support their medications,” he said.
Rev. Sr. Juliana Ekwoanya advocated for education which she said helps in creating awareness that tackles witchcraft and blasphemy.
“Once we have a sound mind through learning, these beliefs will disappear, so these hard times, the people need firmness in the gospel and education to triumph over witchcraft,” she said.
The national president of Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Monica Ango, said the gospel’s response to witchcraft is to acknowledge God as the author and finisher of all things.
