Being tagged as a witch or wizard in Ghana is by far one of the serious situations any individual would endure, especially in the rural parts of the country.
Though how a person who has been accused of being a witch or wizard is treated varies among the various tribes, however, the fact still remains that witches and wizards are usually seen as enemies of progress and ‘no’ one would want to associate himself or herself with such a person.
But the situation is very different from how people who have confessed being witches or wizards are treated in the Benin kingdom in Nigeria
A high chief in Edo state, Chief David Edebiri who is the Esogban of Benin Kingdom and the Odionwere (Head) of witches and wizards in Edo state, has given reasons why self confesed witches and wizards in Benin kingdom are not killed.
Edebiri in a chat with members of the African Bar Association who paid him a courtesy call, said any witch or wizard that confesses in the Benin kingdom, is treated with uttermost respect and is rehabilitated back into the society after undergoing certain processes.
Edebiri said the powers to deal with witches and wizards in the kingdom was given to him by the Oba of Benin.
“Witches and wizards are my subjects. We deal with them in a decent way. There is no magical process in it. Once anybody confessed to be a witch, we send them to a home and a Chief is given the powers to disposes them. We take them through certain processes and they will become ineffective. They will go back to the society better persons.” he told the visiting lawyers.
Portion of text was culled from gistreel
