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Malaysia: Obsessive ‘witch’ mum ruins son’s marriage

Her distraught daughter-in-law, who wished to be known only as Maznah, claimed that her mother-in-law had crossed the line and was treating her husband like a lover rather than a son.

“She treats him more like her lover rather than a son by showering him with first-class treatment. She would shower him with endearments. Even though she has other children, she seems to pay more attention towards my husband,” she said. Maznah believed her mother-in-law was practising black magic, hence the influence she had over the son. Read more here 

Uganda: New movie to combat child sacrifice

It is not common for a professional filmmaker to come to Africa to do an advocacy movie.

Yet former Australian journalist and documentary director, Jo Wolfram Schefcik did it. While residing in Ntinda, Zainab Nassansa, a shopkeeper who was aware of his job, approached him with an idea. “She wanted me to make a real movie and already had the story outlined,” Jo says. Since the problem of child sacrifice was rampart at the time, Nassansa’s story was skewed to the topic. With the help of a friend Maribel Resty, Jo turned Nassansa’s story into a full-length movie script. Read more here

Nigeria: Lagos Superstar Pastor, Pastor Fireman Arrested Over Ritual Killing

Sign Fireman has been named in a ritual murder scandal involving a boy in his church who strangled a 12 year old teenage girl while trying to obtain feces from her for ritual purposes.

Pastor Fireman’s involvement in the scandal was made by the boy who was arrested by the police in Lagos. The teenage suspect stated during the parade that he was sent on the ritual mission by Pastor Fireman. Read more here 

Malawi: Being an Atheist in the midst of Malawian Witchcraft

This is an insight into being nonreligious in a very religious and superstitious context:

“My Christianity was one filled with fear. Fear of the forces of evil and darkness. You must understand that Africa with it’s rich customs and traditions come with a lot of superstitions. Mix that with Christianity and you get a totally messed up reality. Witchcraft being the paramount superstition. We often heard of confessions from ex-witches that speak of things that made me not sleep at night. This is not a my deconversion story but a summary of the things I believed and what other’s still believe from my friends to my family till this very day. I will provide many examples of how these superstitions are mixed with religion…” Read more here

Nigeria: Update On Pastor Sign Fireman’s Alleged Ritual Murder Case

Ikechukwu Egbo, who was arrested for raping and killing a 12-year-old girl, Bose Ogoja, in the Badagry area of Lagos, had claimed that he did so under the instruction of Pastor Fireman. He had said, “I attend Perfect Christianity Mission Headquarters around Ketu Street, Aguda, but I live with my parents in Badagry. I just finished secondary school and I have been very broke. So, I approached Pastor Sign Fireman for money, but he told me that I should strangulate a little girl. Read more here

Cameroon: ‘Witch-hunt’ riot rocks Cameroon town

Residents have gone on the rampage in a so-called ‘witch-hunt’ in the south western Cameroonian town of Buéa. The rioters destroyed homes and burnt cars in the city’s neighbourhood of Tolé, accusing the district’s residents of being witches and members of a ‘cult’ that they say is behind several recent deaths. Read more here 

Nigeria: Accused of ritual killing, Pastor Fireman returns to a hero’s welcome

Last week was awash with news reports of the involvement of the church’s General Overseer, Ofuche Ukoha aka Dr. Sign Fireman, in an alleged rape and killing of a 12-year-old girl in Badagry. Mr. Ukoha had been in police custody since last Tuesday; but was released on bail on Saturday. Read more here

South Africa: Pastor orders his congregation to eat grass

Eating grass according to Pastor Lesego Daniel, brings you closer to God. He argued that humans can eat anything to feed their bodies and survive on whatever they chose to eat. Lesego ordered his congregation to get on their knees and start munching the lush green grass telling them that it heals ailments. And so they went, women and men, kids and the elderly took to the ground, feasting on grass like their lives depended on it. Read  more here

Nepal: Pass anti-witchcraft bill from first CA meet

As incidents of women facing inhuman treatment and physical torture on the charge of practicing witchcraft continues unabated across the country, a conference of women rights activists underscored the need for endorsing the proposed anti-witchcraft bill at the earliest possible time. Read more here

India: 3 held for killing Gumla woman in witch-hunt

Three persons were arrested for the murder of a woman from Birkera-Pahartoli village under Raidih police station. With this, police cracked the case of murder of Butel Devi, killed allegedly for practising witchcraft. Read more here