Villagers paraded an elderly woman in Nkanu, Enugu State. Villagers accused her of using charms to kill community members. They forced her to the grave of a woman who recently died. They made her take an oath. “If I did anything against any human being, let evil happen to me,” she was forced to say. Videos of the ordeal circulated online. The reaction was sharp. Many decried the targeting of vulnerable elderly women.
Witchcraft accusations recur in Nigerian communities. In 2021, Amnesty International documented cases in Akwa Ibom and Cross River where elderly women were beaten, banished or killed after being labelled witches. In 2023, a widow in Benue was paraded naked over similar allegations. In 2024, two elderly women were murdered in Kano after accusations of causing illness. The pattern is consistent. Victims are usually widows, the poor or those without male protectors. Accusations often follow inheritance disputes. The accusers seek to seize property or settle scores. The state rarely intervenes. Police investigations are rare. Prosecutions are rarer.
The woman in Nkanu was accused of killing people with charms. The specific deaths were not identified. No evidence was presented. No formal complaint was made. The villagers took the law into their own hands. They paraded her through the community. They forced her to the grave. They made her swear. The oath was a spectacle. It was designed to humiliate. It was also designed to extract a confession.
The videos drew condemnation. Advocacy groups demanded police investigations. They said mob ordeals are not justice. They said accusations must be proven in court. They noted the pattern. Elderly women are targeted because they cannot fight back. Widows are targeted because they inherit property. The accusers often benefit from the victim’s removal or death.
The police have not announced an investigation. The Enugu State Government has not commented. The community has not been named beyond Nkanu. The woman’s condition is unknown. She was not arrested. She was not charged. She was paraded and released. The trauma remains.
Similar incidents persist across Nigeria. In August 2026, a woman was beaten in Anambra over witchcraft claims. In September, another was banished in Delta. The pattern continues because there are no consequences. The state does not protect the accused. The mob does not fear prosecution.
Winners: The accusers, who acted without consequence. Those who benefit from the woman’s humiliation. No one else. Losers: The elderly woman, who was paraded and traumatised. Her family. Other elderly women who face similar risks. Widows who hold property. The rule of law, which was replaced by mob justice. The community, which showed its cruelty. The police, whose absence enabled the ordeal.
Bottom Line: An elderly woman was paraded over unproven accusations. She was forced to swear at a grave. No evidence was presented. No court was involved. The mob decided her guilt. Advocacy groups want investigations. The police have not acted. Until they do, elderly women will remain targets. Witchcraft accusations are not about belief. They are about power. The powerless pay the price.