Son Sets Mother Ablaze Over Witchcraft Allegations In C’River

A middle-aged man, identified as Emmanuel Akposi, has been declared wanted after allegedly dousing his elderly mother with fuel and setting her ablaze in Ojo community, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The victim, identified by family sources as Mrs Atim Akposi, also known as Atim Eyo, sustained severe burns in the incident, which occurred on Friday, 14 August. She was initially taken to a community health centre in Ojo before being transferred to Akamkpa General Hospital and later to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), where she died in the early hours of Monday.

The attack was reportedly triggered by persistent allegations by Emmanuel that his mother was a witch and responsible for the death of his child.

Speaking to Vanguard by telephone on Wednesday, the suspect’s elder brother, Mr Eyo Akposi, said Emmanuel had accused their mother of witchcraft for several years.

He said, “Before now, he had been accusing our mother for years of being a witch. He told people that some pastors told him that our mother was a witch.

“He even accused her of being responsible for the death of his child. He confronted her several times and tried to kill her until the incident of last week.”

Eyo said that on the day of the attack, Emmanuel entered their mother’s room and allegedly attempted to strangle her.

“On that day, he entered her room and tried to strangle her. When she resisted, he hit her, and she fell to the ground. He then poured fuel on her and set her on fire before fleeing,” he alleged.

He added that neighbours raised the alarm after witnessing the incident and helped to take the victim to the hospital.

Eyo said he learned of the attack after receiving a video of the incident, adding that he subsequently advised family members to transfer the victim from Akamkpa General Hospital to UCTH for further treatment.

“When they sent the video to me, because I don’t live in the same place as them, I told them to move her from the hospital in Akamkpa to UCTH, where she died,” he said.

According to him, the incident had been reported to the Uyanga Divisional Police Station in Akamkpa, which had commenced an investigation and launched a search for the suspect.

Meanwhile, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) has condemned the attack, describing it as a brutal consequence of witchcraft superstition.

Speaking with Vanguard, AfAW Director Leo Igwe, who brought the incident to public attention, condemned the attack and expressed concern over the dangers posed by witchcraft accusations.

“Mrs Akposi’s death underscores the vicious impact of witchcraft suspicion and accusation on innocent lives,” he said.

AfAW called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect and urged churches to stop promoting narratives that could fuel witch-hunting, witchcraft accusations and violence against alleged witches.