Witchcraft Scandal: Helen Ukpabio Sues UK Rights Group For £500 Million

Nigerian preacher and founder of the Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries, Helen Ukpabio, has sued two UK human rights groups for £500 Million (N130 Billion). Ms. Ukpabio is accusing British Humanist Association, BHA, and the Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network, WHRIN, of libel.

According to the preacher, her teachings that a child “under the age of two” who exhibits certain “symptoms” may be possessed by vampire spirits have been misrepresented by the groups.

A child under the age of two who is “possessed with black, red and vampire witchcraft spirits” can be identified by features such as she “screams at night, cries, is always feverish, suddenly deteriorates in health, puts up an attitude of fear, and may not feed very well,” according to Ms. Ukpabio. The preacher also said children who stamp their feet may be “trying to make signs to communicate with gnomes, the witchcraft spirit in charge of the earth.”

A statement by the groups to Premium Times, Monday, quoted Ms. Ukpabio as stating that the BHA and WHRIN had misrepresented her by saying that she ascribed these symptoms to Satanic possession and hence had damaged her reputation and livelihood to the sum of half a billion pounds.

Andrew Copson, BHA’s Chief Executive, described the legal action against his group as an attempt by Ms. Ukpabio to silence her critics. “Given her baseless identification of features of ‘possessed children’ and her dangerous and irresponsible teachings we feel a strong moral duty to point this out and will not be deflected by libel suits from wealthy ‘witch-finders,’ Mr. Copson said.

“The fact that she is threatening to launch a legal claim for half a billion pounds over an alleged distinction between being accused of exorcising ‘Satan’ or ‘Vampires’ tells you all you need to know about Ms Ukpabio.

“Threats of legal action like this are blatant attempts to silence critics of the harms done by these religious and superstitious beliefs and rituals. Rather than entertaining her vexatious claims in the courts, we believe the UK should be ensuring that Ms Ukpabio and her ilk are denied entry to our country to protect children from their degrading practices,” he added.

In April, several UK activists launched a campaign for the government to ban and deport Ms. Ukpabio, who had flown into the country at the time, accusing her of being a “risk to youngsters.”