It isn't easy to be a humanist in Nigeria these days. In July, when Leo Igwe, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Humanist Movement, held a symposium on witchcraft and children's rights, not only was it disrupted by 150 followers of Helen Ukpabio's Liberty Gospel Church, but he was attacked, had his glasses destroyed and his bag, camera and mobile phone taken from him.And now Helen Ukpabio is suing him. For religious discrimination.
The religious belief Igwe is accused of discriminating against is her church's assertion that many of Nigeria's children are witches. Here are some excerpts from Helen's bio in Wikipedia:
Helen Ukpabio is the founder and head of African Evangelical franchise Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries based in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. She caused a dramatic increase of accusations of witchcraft through her Gospel...
In 1992, Ukpabio founded Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries with the aim of spreading her often literal interpretations of the Holy Bible to the people of West Africa. The belief most often associated with Mrs. Ukpabio and her organisation is a claim that Satan has the ability to manifest himself in the bodies of children by demonic possession and make them become his servants in the form of 'witches' or 'wizards'.Exploiting local superstitious beliefs, particularly those related to spiritual or demonic possession or witchcraft, Helen Ukpabio's organisation to grow exponentionally throughout Nigeria and West Africa since its foundation. There are now major Liberty Gospel Churches in Cameroon, Rome and South Africa as well as Nigeria.
Others named in the law suit are the Goverment of Akwa Ibom state, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police of Cross River State, Sam Ituama, Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network, and Gary Foxcroft of Stepping Stones Nigeria (the latter two groups are involved with rescuing children accused of being witches).
The suit will be heard in court on December 17.
Here is some of what Leo Igwe had to say about it in an email to a freethinker group yesterday:
She asked the court to issue perpetual pemanent restraining me and others from interfering with their practice of Christianity and their deliverance of people with witchcraft; from holding seminars or workshops denouncing the Christian religious belief in witchcraft; and from arresting her and her church members.Ukpabio and her church members want to evade arrest and prosecution by all means. Otherwise how could one explain the reason behind these frivolous allegations and trumped-up charges. Particularly, how does one explain why this so-called woman of God has gone to court asking that I pay her damages after church members, under her directive, disrupted our conference, beat me up, stole my bag and made away with other personal belongings.
Helen Ukpabio should be ready to face justice and answer for her crimes. She should be ready to pay damages to thousands of children who have been tortured, traumatised, abused and abandoned as a result of her misguided ministry. Helen should be ready to pay for the damage she has done to many homes and households across Nigeria through her witchcraft schemes and other fraudulent activities. She should be ready to pay compensation to all care givers and child rights advocates who have been attacked, harrassed and robbed by her gangs and goons.
Of course if there is one thing harder than being a humanist in Nigeria, it's being labeled a child witch there. To get some idea of what these kids have to endure, check out the video.
Photo Credits:
1) Vincent Price as the Witchfinder General, a 1968 film.
2) Helen Ukpabio (AP)
3) Leo Igwe (from Philosopedia).
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Comments
These Christian churches in Nigeria and other west African countries are disgusting. My mother has asked me to read Chuck Colson's book "the Faith" and in it he actually praises these churches for "bringing the faith back to the West." This is truly what these evangelical fundies want.
Mass hysteria - Preying on poverty, ignorance and superstition - Attacking the helpless in the name of religion. History sadly repeats itself.
I tuly now believe that helen ukpabio is the anti christ that the the bible told us will be seeing in the last days. What type of evangelist will be against the fact that people are trying to help the children that she had condemned. Nigeria has changed and I'm suggesting that she should be locked up in jail for the crimes she's meted out on children.
The biblical notion that alleged witches have real powers helps to fuel this insanity. Where are the religious leaders that will denounce the primitive notion that alleged witches have magical powers?
Leo Igwe's courage and integrity is an example to us all.
People have the right to believe nonsense but not to abuse children or anyone else for that matter. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child explicitly protects the reputation of young people.
Of course the best thing would be if people realised how wrong is the belief in witchcraft. Then criminal exploiters like Helen Ukpabio could make no money out of this foolishness. In the meantime we must all do what we can to protect children from the folly of adults.
The time has come for Nigerians to stop being conned by the numerous two bit money grabbing Prosperity preaching self ordained Pastors. The many Hellen Ukpabio’s who have sporadically dotted the horizon of the Christian religion in Nigeria are like cancer, and should be treated as such.
How can they prove that the so called power they profess to have is God ordained? And the question should be which God do they profess??
For those that believe it is clearly stated in Matthew 24:1.
This woman is not unique- like many others she hides behind "God", spouts her demented beliefs, & carrys out her sick / perverted campaign of terror on those poor children. She is an insane, religous zeolot, who victimizes these poor children. What she preaches & does has little to do with reality, & more with satisfying her perversions. It is difficult for me to understand the minds of the Nigerians. I saw a man bragging & giggling like he was retarded, talking about killing a young girl with a machete..... these movies are childish & very poorly done; as a matter of fact-they look like something I might have done in my 5th grade audio-visual class. Certainly the Nigerian people aren't this stupid???? What that man needed, along with Helen the child abuser, is a swift bullet in their heads. No wonder they are a 3rd world country... I just feel bad for the children. That's why the NATO forces should enter the country and impose martial law. It is unlikely they can do this themselves!
This lady is a money grubbing wh@#$ which should be put down like a dog. Anyone who can torture and maim a child does not deserve to live. How can she think that God would approve the hurting of children regardless of what the circumstances?? These people take advantage of the those who can't do anything about it and make them live in fear if the don't do what they say. She hides behind religious freedom yet she is denying some one else theirs. She is no better than those Muslim Extremists who slap bombs on people or kids and make them blow themselves up in the name of there religion. Nato needs to step in and put a stop to this woman and her followers. She needs to pay for every crime she has committed against a child. Then she needs to be locked up for the rest of her life. We need to stand up and stop her. Protect these helpless children. I will pray for these children.
Blessed Be
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