An 85-year-old woman in Zamfara State has allegedly suffered severe physical abuse after being accused of witchcraft following a visit to a woman who had recently delivered a baby.
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches disclosed this in a statement issued by its Director, Leo Igwe, on Friday, saying the incident was brought to its attention through the National Human Rights Commission’s Zamfara office.
Igwe said the NHRC shared an audio recording of the incident with the organisation on August 18, 2026, after the elderly woman was allegedly attacked by a mob.
According to him, the woman had gone to visit the new mother and exchange pleasantries when she was accused of being responsible for witchcraft.
She reportedly denied the allegation, but the accusation allegedly attracted a group of people who assaulted her.
Igwe alleged that the woman was beaten with sticks and pestles and pelted with stones, leaving her with injuries to her head and hand.
He further alleged that her attackers dragged her along the ground, forced her into a toilet and struck her with a toilet seat while threatening to kill her if anything happened to the baby.
The group also allegedly stripped the octogenarian and compelled her to repeatedly step over the newborn as a supposed test to establish whether she was a witch.
Igwe said the woman was subjected to further humiliation when she was allegedly ordered to perform the same act over the baby’s mother.
He added that the attackers reportedly considered bringing in a traditional priest to determine whether the woman was a witch, while also discussing taking her to a police station.
The elderly woman was eventually taken to a hospital for treatment and later discharged, but Igwe claimed that the harassment did not end after her release.
He said the victim identified some of those allegedly involved in the assault as members of her family whom she had known for years.
Igwe said the woman was seeking justice, adding that a photograph made available to his organisation showed her with visible injuries and a bruised face.
He disclosed that AfAW contacted the NHRC several times to obtain further information and explore ways of providing legal and humanitarian assistance to the victim.
However, according to Igwe, members of the woman’s family allegedly frustrated efforts to assist her because they did not want the matter made public.
The AfAW director described the incident as another example of the violence allegedly suffered by people, particularly elderly women, who are accused of witchcraft in some communities.
He called on the Zamfara State Government to intervene, ensure the victim receives appropriate support and facilitate an investigation into the alleged assault.
Igwe also urged the police and other relevant authorities to identify and prosecute anyone found culpable, stressing that accusations of witchcraft should never be used to justify violence.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Police Command said it had not received a formal report on the incident.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Yazid, however, said the police would look into the allegation and take appropriate action.
“This incident was not reported to the police but with this we are going to find out and do the necessary,” Yazid told our correspondent in a text message.