PROF. BIC IJEOMAH HOLDS WITCHCRAFT CONFERENCE

A witchcraft conference was held in Nigeria from Tuesday to Wednesday despite opposition from churches.

The international conference on witchcraft was organised by the Prof. BIC Ijeomah Centre for Policy Studies and Research at University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

The conference offered an opportunity for witchcraft practitioners and scholars in the disciplines of human behaviour to discuss witchcraft.

One of the organisers, Prof Egodi Uchendu said the conference was supposed to help Nigerians “determine amongst other things the intelligibility of witchcraft, the principles that underpin it and the impact it has on human life, society and progress.”

A Nigerian journalist, Patrick Egwu, who attended the conference told the news site Premium Times that there was an opening prayer by a priest and a Christ Church choir of the university sang the opening hymn at the conference.

He added that a group called Witchcraft Human Rights Information Network sold witchcraft-related books and items at a stand outside the venue.

Mr Egwu said the aim of the conference, according to the organisers was to demystify witchcraft.

“It’s something that has been there for centuries, every poor widow or every small child that is malnourished, they will tag him a witch,” Mr. Egwu said.