Under the flicker of dim lights and the rhythm of worship songs, what started as a Christian crusade in the quiet farming community of Onyadama, Cross River State, spiraled into a brutal mob assault that left one woman fighting for her life and another person dead. The date was March 13, and the victim was Grace Ekoi, a mother in her 50s who had come seeking a miracle for her toddler. Instead, she was branded a witch and beaten within an inch of her life.
Video footage and witness accounts obtained by this newsroom paint a harrowing picture. At least eight individuals took turns flogging Ekoi with long canes as a man’s voice sang over a microphone and congregants clapped. When she broke free and ran toward the road, shouts in Pidgin English erupted: “She don run o.” She was chased, caught, and beaten again until she lay motionless. At one point, a man poured what appeared to be olive oil on her—a common tool for “anointing” in Nigerian Pentecostal circles—only for the assault to resume moments later.
Ekoi survived, but community sources say another person died that night. Weeks later, no arrests have been made, and there is no sign of a full investigation. The crusade organizer, Usetu Bassey, who operates Kabod International Church, dodged questions when contacted. He insisted community leaders were present, asking, “Do you think I will just go to a community and ask them to beat their own?” But he did not deny inciting the violence.
Ekoi’s story is a testament to the terror of the night. She told this newsroom she had attended the crusade hoping for healing for her 14-month-old child, who could not walk. “As I was breastfeeding my baby, they called me, ‘Come, come,’” she recalled. A church worker took her infant and handed the child to another. “They said, ‘Stand here, witch!’ I said, ‘Witch how? I am not a witch. I thought you called me to pray for my baby.’” She said the pastor ordered the attack: “That crusade pastor said, ‘Beat her.’ Many people beat me with sticks. I kept screaming that I was not a witch.”
Her hands were tied behind her back. “It was a mass beating. All they kept saying was that I was a witch and that they would kill me.” In desperation, she swore an oath: if she was a witch, she should not see the next day.
A review of Bassey’s social media reveals a pattern. Photos from the past three years show women lying on bare ground during services, with young men holding canes nearby. In a December 2024 post, at least seven women were seen on the ground while others watched. Another image from April 2023 showed a woman appearing unconscious during a crusade.
The village head of Onyadama, Enang Erim, declined comment, saying he needed authorization from the clan head, Vincent Erena, who did not respond to calls. The police in Cross River initially said they had begun an investigation, but weeks later, there have been no arrests. Police spokesman Eitokpah Sunday confirmed Ekoi was attacked after a church prophecy labeled her a witch, adding that she received treatment and was moved to a facility in Calabar. But he did not say whether any suspects had been identified.
Rights advocates say this is not an isolated incident. James Ibor, principal counsel at the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, called it part of a wider crisis. “This is just one of the cases that has come to light. There are many that are never reported,” he said. He blamed the attacks on a mix of poverty, weak institutions, and “religious profiteering.” “The religious merchants constantly serve fear to maintain their grip on vulnerable populations,” Ibor added. His organization has filed a petition with the police, but has yet to receive a response. He cited other cases in Cross River, including a woman in Akamkpa who was burnt to death in broad daylight over witchcraft accusations, with no one standing trial.
Nigeria’s Criminal Code explicitly criminalizes trial by ordeal and witchcraft-related violence. Section 208 provides that anyone who directs or presides over an unlawful trial by ordeal resulting in death is liable to capital punishment. Section 209 prescribes imprisonment for those present. Ibor, a lawyer, says the events in Onyadama fall squarely within these provisions.
After the beating, Ekoi was taken home by some youths and later to a hospital. Unable to afford continued treatment, her family resorted to home care. Her child cried throughout the ordeal, she said. As of June 11, no arrests have been confirmed, and authorities have not publicly acknowledged any death linked to the incident.
What remains is a trail of questions about responsibility, belief, and the cost of silence. In Onyadama, a night that began with prayers has created fears of the consequences of being named a witch by a religious leader. Victims are still waiting for justice.
