The incident occurred in January 2025 when police officers from the Tiger Base unit in Imo State, along with local vigilantes, raided the family compound of 70-year-old Joseph Ottih.
Family members installed an Agwu shrine—a traditional Igbo ritual object—to seek healing for their son’s illness.
A relative, Hilary Ottih, strongly objected to the shrine and feared it would harm him and his siblings.
He mobilized vigilantes who first attempted to forcibly remove the Agwu, but the family resisted.
Hilary then brought in police officers, led by one identified as Chikadibia Okebala (also known as “Kill and Bury”), from the Tiger Base.
The joint force stormed the compound, assaulted residents, seized the ritual items, and caused extensive damage.
Officers beat Joseph Ottih severely with gun butts and a pestle.
They shot his daughter in the leg.
They detained his wife, Oby Ottih, for four days at the station and released her only after she paid ₦150,000 in extortion money.
The family fled their home and now lives in displacement.
They reported spending large sums earlier on various healers and pastors in failed attempts to cure the son’s condition before turning to the Agwu tradition.
Leo Igwe, director of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), condemned the raid as police-enabled witch persecution rooted in superstition and religious intolerance.
AfAW advocates visited the Tiger Base on January 16, 2026, expressed shock at the findings, and pledged legal support for the Ottih family.
Igwe demanded urgent police training and reform to prevent officers from siding with accusers in disputes over traditional beliefs.
He warned that without accountability, such violations will persist across Nigeria.
This case highlights ongoing tensions between traditional African religious practices and dominant Christian influences in parts of Imo State, compounded by alleged police impunity and extortion.
AfAW renewed its call to end witch-hunting nationwide by 2030 through education, legal aid, and systemic change.
