Amidst rising cases of witchcraft in Bauchi, the State chief judge, Justice Rabi Umar, has expressed worry over increased cases in the state’s lower courts.
The chief judge described the concept of witchcraft as a challenge to legal jurisprudence, “If you are not a witch, you cannot know who is a witch. It is an issue that could hardly be established unless the witch confesses to be one,” she said.
Justice Rabi Umar has also condemned the “alarming rise” in witchcraft-related mob violence following the brutal murder of 70-year-old Talatu Joshua in Gobir village of Kirfi LGA.
WikkiTimes’ review of public reports of witchcraft cases that had been reported in Bauchi between 2021 and 2025 reveals several witchcraft-linked murders and assaults were reported across rural communities. Victims—often elderly women, children, or marginalized individuals—face torture, mutilation, or death based on unproven claims of sorcery.
2025
The Bauchi State Police command confirmed that 70-year-old Talatu Joshua had been murdered over an allegation of witchcraft. Villagers in Gobir of Kirfi LGA accused her of witchcraft before four men attacked her, leaving her fatally wounded. Police spokesperson Ahmed Wakil confirmed her death en route to the hospital and the suspects were later arrested.
2024
The Bauchi State Police Command arrested 20-year-old Rakiya Yau for orchestrating the killing of her father-in-law Damina Lamba in Wuro Dangogo village of Misau LGA area of Bauchi State. According to Rakiya, she hired the hitmen to murder her father-in-law, because she believed he killed her son via witchcraft.
Similarly, in March 2024, a young boy in Alkaleri LGA survived an attack by ritualists who gouged out his eyes, linking the crime to superstition. Some people in the community linked it to witchcraft.
2023
In 2023, 30-year-old Hamza Umar set teenager Hafsat Bala ablaze in Rafin Albasa, claiming she bewitched him, suggesting the roots of this crisis run deep in the society. The incident which happened in Bauchi LGA led to the arrest of the suspect by the police.
That same year, a 10-year-old girl in Kirfi LGA was mutilated in a suspected ritual killing.
2022
Earlier, in December 2022, Haruna Ezekiel, 35, murdered his 80-year-old uncle, Sunday Sale, accusing him of inducting his son into witchcraft. This occurred in Gongo community of Tafawa Balewa LGA. The suspect had been in the custody.
2021
In 2021, a widow in Tafawa Balewa LGA was tortured and exiled over witchcraft claims, rescued only after intervention by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). She was taken to a different community and supported to start a new life.
Authorities’ Reaction
“These acts are barbaric and unacceptable,” stated Justice Umar, urging communities to “trust the judiciary, not jungle justice.” Police Commissioner Auwal Musa echoed this, reiterating that “witchcraft allegations must be investigated legally, not settled with violence.”
Civil Society Pushes Back
Organizations like FIDA and the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) have intensified campaigns to debunk myths and protect victims. FIDA’s Bauchi coordinator, Hannatu Adamu, noted, “We’ve relocated survivors and provided livelihoods, but fear and ignorance still drive these attacks.”
While arrests and prosecutions signal progress, advocates argue that lasting solutions require grassroots education and stronger legal deterrence. As Justice Umar concluded, “Until we address the superstitions festering in our villages, more lives will be lost to baseless fear.”
For now, Bauchi’s villages remain trapped in a shadow of suspicion—where whispers of witchcraft too often end in bloodshed. Poverty is also linked to the cases.
