Obiageri Ottih, a 49-year-old woman from Imo state in southern Nigeria, is a religious prisoner of conscience. Ottih is a traditional/ indigenous religious worshipper. On Friday, February 27, 2026, she was charged in a magistrate’s court for attempted murder and remanded in prison.
What happened: In December last year, Obiageri’s relatives, Vivian Ottih, Hilary Ottih (who lives in the US), and others accused her of witchcraft. They claimed that she introduced a traditional religious facility called Agwu or Agbara that was disturbing the peace in the family and community. These relatives asked Obiageri and the husband to remove the Agwu, but they refused. Hilary, Vivian, and other Christian family members brought vigilante and police officers from the Tigerbase police unit who invaded Obiageri’s compound and forcefully removed the Agwu.
A video recording of the raid shows police and vigilante members forcing their way into Obiageri Ottih’s compound. They slapped and beat up Obiageri and her children, who tried to resist them. On January 3, police arrested Obiageri, put her in the trunk of the car, drove her to the notorious Tigerbase police station, and detained her for about 4 days. The police released her, but that was after her family coughed up 150 thousand naira.
Meanwhile, police harassment of Obiageri Ottih and family continued. On February 19, 2026, police rearrested and detained her till February 27, when they charged her. Also on February 19, the police arrested Obiageri’s son, Uchenna, and detained him for about 7 days, extorted 150 thousand naira, and asked him to report to the station on a later date. The police tried to arrest one of her daughters. The police traced her to where she used to work and apprehended her. They slapped her, but she managed to escape and fled naked. She had a dislocation and is currently in hiding.
Obiageri has some health challenges. She suffers from low blood pressure and has been ill since they transferred her to the prison.
A legal counsel will defend Obiageri Ottih and her family. In addition, a court action will be filed against her accusers and the police to restrain them from further harassment, illegal detention, and extortion of money from Obiageri and her family members.
Amnesty International, and other international human rights agencies have been asked to adopt Obiageri as a religious prisoner of conscience.
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches urges the Nigerian authorities to free Obiageri Ottih, drop the charge against her, and stop the persecution of traditional/indigenous religious worshippers in the country.
Leo Igwe, PhD, is a board member of Humanists International and the Humanist Association of Nigeria. He directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches and Critical Thinking Social Empowerment Foundation. He can be reached by email HERE.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
