"It’s no secret that some unscrupulous tricksters who mask themselves as men or women of God have helped foster this shocking culture of credulousness, this willingness to cleave to any superstition or tale, however absurd. It is a deadly, deadening phenomenon. It enables people to see a scalded victim of an obvious savage attack, and to watch her die, having stigmatized her as a diabolical, flying witch. It deadens the humanity of those who stand by and watch a miserable human expire before their eyes.
What has happened—what is happening—to the minds of some Nigerians? Why do some of us rush to believe any balderdash? Do we even have any glimmer of hope of becoming an enlightened society when we believe that some of our fellows are literally flying objects, witches and wizards out to wreck us? This kind of ignorance redounds to the advantage of the few who exploit the rest of us. They relish it when we gather in glee around a hapless, helpless dying woman at Oshodi, mistaking her as the source of our woes. The real witches and wizards sit in the halls of power—yes, with many priests, pastors and imams as their guests—gorging on the commonwealth. And these real witches and wizards deepen Nigeria’s misery, and some Nigerians’ susceptibility to superstitions." - Okey Ndibe
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