Witchcraft and the Challenges of History: The Experience of Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

A cursory look at the history of witchcraft shows that witchcraft is a diverse phenomenon. It pervades all cultures. In numerous African communities, the conviction prevails that mystical forces, particularly those associated with witchcraft, are responsible for various unusual occurrences such as accidents, conflicts, fatalities, domestic and public strife, impoverishment, illness, and bad luck. These mystical powers are purportedly possessed by individuals identified as witches and wizards. We see this concept of witchcraft as an essential part of our understanding of African metaphysics in discussing the vital issues that explain, manipulate, predict, and control such forces of nature in our world view. Thus, as a result of this, this paper explores the challenges and uncomfortable fate of witchcraft in our African ontology. The findings of this paper therefore corroborate the thesis that the dialectical changes in nature in Africa as a result of colonialism have led to the reorganization of institutions and the social conditions of states in Africa. It led to the re-organization of African metaphysical thought. It relegated the practices of witchcraft to the background and remodeled this African socio-political and philosophical thought into the Euro-Christian tradition.