Latest modern slavery fight updates - FreedomUnited.org
Donate

Nigerian Anti-Trafficking Agency Employs Witch Doctors

  • Published on
    February 5, 2018
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Human Trafficking, Law & Policy, Prevention
Hero Banner

Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, is working with local witch doctors in Benin, Edo State in an effort to curb human trafficking. Edo state is known to have the highest number of trafficking cases in the country, and the government is hoping these witch doctors can become ambassadors against the crime.

Recent investigations have found that witch doctors were involved in the trafficking of Nigerians to Europe, wherein traffickers employed their services to control their victims. Premium Times explains:

The NAPTIP boss said investigations revealed that some local witch doctors were involved or used in the trafficking of persons to Europe.

She said the agency would involve and sensitise more witch doctors in Edo and other parts of the country and make them NAPTIP ambassadors in fighting human trafficking.

“Once human traffickers get a victim’s consent by force, fraud or coercion, such person would be made to take oath of secrecy/allegiance before a local witch doctor in a shrine.

“Some rituals are performed on the victims, using their urine, pubic hair, fingernails, eye lashes, menstrual blood, underwear and other personal effects.

“Once these rituals are done, it would be seen as a bond between the victims and the traffickers.

Director General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, added that witch doctors were often unaware of extent of human trafficking.

“When we gathered these witch doctors recently to sensitize them on what human trafficking victims go through in Europe, they were shocked. And they have made their commitments to work with us to fight the menace of human trafficking,” she said.

Subscribe

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This week

A closer look at forced labor import bans

In her insightful Open Democracy article, Judy Fudge unpacks the growing popularity of forced labor import bans—and urges us to think twice before praising them as an easy fix for exploitation in global supply chains. Forced labor import bans allows customs officials to stop goods at the border if they suspect the supply chain used forced labor. Governments in the global North—including the US, Canada, and Mexico—have embraced them, and the EU is

| Thursday July 3, 2025

Read more