A whisper of witchcraft is all it takes to destroy a life. In some communities, elderly women, widows and other vulnerable people are hunted, tortured, banished and even killed after being branded witches, often without a shred of evidence. In this report, VICTOR AYENI exposes the human cost of superstition, the culture of impunity that sustains it, and the lives shattered by accusations rooted in fear rather than fact
If Habse Ubale had known that the men approaching her home on July 28, 2026, were coming to kill her, she might have fled to safety far away from Garin Malam Village in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, where she lived.
The 30-year-old might have sought refuge with relatives, neighbours or the police. Instead, she remained in the place she had called home, unaware that accusations of witchcraft had marked her for death.
At 2 am, while most residents were asleep, three men allegedly broke through the door and descended on the woman, her husband, Audu Sabo, and their two children, Yakubu and Salih, with sticks and a machete.
The principal suspect, Garba Daudu, had allegedly conspired with two others, Ya’u Garba and Musa, whose full identities have yet to be established, to invade the family’s residence over allegations that Ubale was a witch.
