Police have declared a middle-aged man, Emmanuel Akposi, wanted after he allegedly poured fuel on his elderly mother and set her ablaze in Ojo community, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Family sources identified the victim as Mrs Atim Akposi, also known as Atim Eyo. She suffered severe burns in the attack on Friday, August 14.
Neighbours rushed her to a community health centre in Ojo. Medical workers later transferred her to Akamkpa General Hospital and then to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), where she died in the early hours of Monday.
The attack reportedly followed years of accusations by Emmanuel that his mother practised witchcraft and caused the death of his child.
Emmanuel’s elder brother, Eyo Akposi, told Vanguard by telephone on Wednesday that his brother had repeatedly accused their mother of witchcraft.
“Before now, he had been accusing our mother for years of being a witch. He told people that some pastors told him that our mother was a witch.
“He even accused her of being the cause of the death of his child. He confronted her many times, trying to kill her, until the incident of last week,” he alleged.
Eyo said Emmanuel entered their mother’s room on the day of the attack and allegedly tried to strangle her.
“On that day, he entered her room and tried to strangle her. When she resisted, he hit her and she fell to the ground. Then he poured fuel on her and set her on fire and fled immediately afterwards,” he said.
Neighbours reportedly raised the alarm after witnessing the attack and helped take the victim to hospital.
Eyo said he learnt about the incident after someone sent him a video of the attack. He then advised family members to move their mother from Akamkpa General Hospital to UCTH for further treatment.
“When they sent the video to me, because I don’t live in the same place with them, I told them to move her from the hospital in Akamkpa to UCTH, where she died,” he said.
According to Eyo, the family reported the incident to the Uyanga Divisional Police Station in Akamkpa. The police have since opened an investigation and launched a manhunt for Emmanuel.
AfAW condemns attack
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) has condemned the attack, describing it as a brutal consequence of witchcraft superstition.
AfAW Director Leo Igwe, who brought the incident to public attention, said Mrs Akposi’s death demonstrated the dangers of witchcraft accusations.
“Mrs Akposi’s death underscores the vicious impact of witchcraft suspicion and accusation on innocent lives,” he said.
AfAW called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect. The organisation also urged churches to stop promoting narratives that could encourage witch-hunting and violence against people accused of witchcraft.
