Witchcraft Drama: Another Woman Turned Bird

One more disturbing case of a bird who allegedly metamorphosed into a human was observed in Ijora, Lagos, on November 17, 2014.

The photo of the unnamed woman, who people alleged to be a bird before turning into a female at Ijora in Lagos on Monday, leaked to the Nigerian Bulletin. As the woman’s identity is still to be established, the details of the story are rather sketchy.

Meanwhile this case is the third in the series of an unusual bird-to-human transformations in Lagos. Several weeks ago at least two women were accused of witchcraft.

Although the latest incident ended peacefully – as a woman who has confessed of killing four people was taken to police department – in majority of similar cases women as well as children are brutalized by locals.

Nigerians react

Nigerians took to social media to express their disappointment and anger at government for taking no action to isolate mentally ill people (who are often blamed for black magic) from society.

Blessing Bassey: Every mad woman is a bird turned to a human I wish government will take mad people off the street, so birds will continue to be birds.

Chukwuemeka Osadebe: Poverty is sin. Why the bird-humans have not been ever seen in Ikoyi and Banana Island? Na so so downtown. Una doo.

Aramide Kehinde: They are not birds, they are mentally deranged people. Stop tagging them witches!

Accusations of witchcraft remain common in Nigeria, where magic is embedded in the form of Pentecostal Christianity popular in the country. In Nigeria, some pastors have incorporated African witchcraft beliefs into their brand of Christianity resulting in a campaign of violence against Nigerians.

Women, children and babies branded as evil are being abused, abandoned and even murdered. The preachers make money out of the fear providing costly exorcism services of their parents and their communities.

There are lot of homeless and disabled people without support who are living on the streets and are wrongly regarded as mad people. Be compassionate, hand them in to the nearest police station or call in specialists.