An 85-year-old woman in Zamfara State has allegedly been brutally assaulted after being accused of witchcraft following a visit to a woman who had recently given birth.
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) raised the alarm over the incident, saying the elderly woman was beaten, stripped naked and subjected to other forms of physical abuse by a mob.
According to AfAW Director, Leo Igwe, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) office in Zamfara shared an audio recording of the incident with the organisation on August 18, 2026.
Igwe said the elderly woman had visited the new mother to exchange pleasantries when she was allegedly accused of being a witch. Although she denied the allegation, a mob reportedly gathered and attacked her.
He alleged that the attackers pelted the woman with stones and beat her with pestles and sticks, leaving her with serious injuries to her head and hands.
The woman was also allegedly dragged across the floor, pushed into a toilet and struck with a toilet seat. She was reportedly threatened with death if anything happened to the newborn.
AfAW further alleged that the attackers stripped the woman naked and forced her to repeatedly step over the baby as a supposed test to prove that she was not a witch. She was also allegedly forced to perform the same act over the baby’s mother.
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The elderly woman was eventually taken to a hospital, where she received treatment and was later discharged. However, Igwe said the accusations and alleged harassment continued after her release.
He added that the woman had identified some of those allegedly involved in the attack as members of her own family whom she had known for years.
The organisation is calling for justice for the victim and urging the Zamfara State Government and security agencies to investigate the incident and prosecute anyone found responsible.
Igwe condemned the use of witchcraft accusations to justify violence, stressing that such allegations should not be allowed to shield perpetrators from accountability.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Police Command said the incident had not been formally reported to the police.
The command’s spokesperson, Abubakar Yazid, however, said the police would look into the matter following the report.
The incident has renewed concerns over the persecution of elderly people and other vulnerable members of communities based on unsubstantiated witchcraft accusations.
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