Tenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Ibibio society is quite notorious for witchcraft. Many abandoned children and the elderly litter the society with notable violent scars perpetrated by religio-traditional institutions, due to witchcraft accusations and witch-purge rituals. This study examined the nature, cosmology and socio-cultural dynamics of witchcraft in Ibibioland, particularly surveying how indigenous institutions stimulated new paradigms. It also attempts an exploration of the deleterious effects of such practices on public health. A qualitative methodology, employing both primary and secondary sources in social research, was adopted for the study, while its discussion and analysis are hinged on the demonological theory. Findings suggest indigenous institutions’ sustenance of the belief in witchcraft explains the people’s fervent patronage of religio-traditional “health centers” at the expense of public health centers. It concludes that witchcraft activities negatively affect the people’s wellbeing, urging a total break from the obnoxious beliefs that inhibit social progression and exploit scientific ignorance.