Witchcraft roles in mental illness is a ruse, says mental health expert

Segun Showunmi in Ibadan

A Mental Health Expert, Dr. Olatunde Ayinde has called for more awareness on the dangers of witchcraft allegations on mental illnesses, saying that there is no evidence that mental illness is caused by witches or evil spirits has been perceived by the society.

Penpushing reports that Ayinde made this call  during a ‘Special Evening Talk’ which was organized by the University of Ibadan Humanists and Freethinkers, theme: “Who is Afraid of Witches on Campuses”, held in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital.

The Consultant psychiatrist at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, who spoke about the intersection of witchcraft allegations and mental health at the event, noted that the aim of the event was to create awareness about the dangers of witchcraft allegations on the campuses, being the foremost places of academic endeavours in the society.

Penpushing further reports  that, Ayinde noted that , it is the high level of ignorance of mental health amongst persons that leads to the general public ascribing supernatural attribution to mental illness, arguing that, “mental illnesses are just like other illnesses like diabetes or hypertension. Except that they affect the brain, mental illnesses are caused by biological factors such as heredity etc.”

“Mental illnesses are characterized by abnormalities in thoughts, behaviour, mood, perception (the way we experience the world around us) and cognition (the way we know and remember things) such that the abnormalities distress us and our relatives and interfere with our functioning at home, at work, and society.”

Penpushing further reports that in his remark, the Convener, Advocacy For Alleged Witches (AFAW), Leo Igwe noted that the purpose of the event was to address the fears and anxieties that get many students to react with curiosity without apprehension when the topic of witchcraft is raised, adding that it was obvious that witchcraft has become a taboo topic in a Nigerian university, as a result of witchcraft fears and anxieties that have become so pervasive among students.

The Conveners maintained that the event was aimed at mobilizing students to become advocates for alleged witches, noting that the main reason why alleged witches are brutally attacked and killed in the communities is due to a deficit in advocacy for alleged witches, and given the fact that youths are usually at the forefront of attacking and killing alleged witches, it is important to get a critical mass of young persons to become advocates for alleged witches and one place to start realizing this is the university.

Penpushing also reports that Igwe pointed out that a conference on witchcraft was to be held last year in Nsukka but generated a lot of protest from Christian students, Penticostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which made the organisers to change the venue and topic of the event.

“Witches are associated with evil. There is also a narrative that links witches to extraordinary fear. For instance among the Igbos when a child performs an activity that shows extraordinary intelligence, some people would say: Nwa a bu amusu (This child is a witch). So culturally speaking witchcraft is associated with both good and evil.

“The negative and destruction aspects that are the main focus in our campaign. Because that is the reason why alleged witches are attacked and killed in very horrific ways. Witches are imaginary forms that people use to make sense of evil and misfortune. Witches are not evil because they do not really exist. Witches are people’s constructs.”

“Witches cannot be evil as alleged because witchcraft is a form of superstition, in the sense of harming others through magic means, NO. Even if anybody makes such claims. The person needs a psychiatric examination, not persecution or killing.”