Angelus Blog

In certain regions of Africa, notably Nigeria, there exists a cultural belief that a man may suffer illness as a consequence of his wife’s wrongdoing. For example, if a married woman commits adultery, it is believed that her husband may fall ill. To restore the man’s health, the community often requires the woman to publicly confess her infidelity. This confession is seen as a necessary act to alleviate the husband’s sickness. Once she admits her fault, the man is believed to recover. This longstanding tradition is widely accepted and practiced, with many asserting that it plays a crucial role in promoting faithfulness within marriages and maintaining social order. Another traditional practice involves the suspicion cast upon a wife when her prominent husband dies under mysterious circumstances. In such cases, the wife may be subjected to spiritual trials to prove her innocence. These tests might include drinking the deceased husband’s bath water or performing ritualistic movements aro...

Photo Credit: Plateau Watch   Dialogue is often hailed as the most effective path to conflict resolution. Yet, the idea of negotiating peace with bandits in a sovereign nation remains deeply controversial.   Since the Boko Haram sect—formally known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna Li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad—emerged in northeastern Nigeria in 2003, the country has suffered the loss of thousands of lives to their violent campaigns, particularly in the northern regions. Despite repeated efforts by federal, state, and local governments to suppress the group, military offensives have yielded little success. In fact, the harder the military pushes, the more destruction these insurgents unleash. They raid military bases, seize vehicles and weapons, and turn those same resources against the nation.   Beyond direct assaults, the bandits frequently bomb government facilities, kidnap citizens and foreigners, and extort massive ransoms—sometimes killing their victims even after payment...

Photo credit: freepik.com In Africa, particularly in Nigeria, the color black is often negatively associated with witchcraft. Despite black symbolizing power, authority, and elegance, many Nigerians—especially in rural areas—frequently label elderly, dark-skinned women as witches. This perception is unjust and harmful. It is rare to find a fair-skinned woman suspected or accused of witchcraft in Africa. This is largely because fair complexions are often associated with innocence and harmlessness. I recall an incident years ago when a spirit was consulted to identify the witch or wizard responsible for the death of a two-month-old baby boy. To the surprise of many, a fair-skinned woman was accused of being behind the tragedy. In many African cultures, colors carry profound symbolic meanings connected to nature, spirituality, and societal values. The symbolism of black and white is far more complex than a simple good-versus-evil contrast often seen in Western cultures. Black frequently r...