Unconventional, unorthodox and yet adaptive? Chances are that the efforts of the Nigeria Police to partner with herbalists to counter cases of ritual killings, body part trafficking and kidnapping have been met with shock and then, skepticism. Well, the Ogun state, Commissioner of Police (CP), Ahmed Iliyasu, has called on traditional medicine practitioners, to assist the police with useful information.
This is not the first time similar partnerships have been established to improve intelligence gathering and service delivery – they have partnered with network providers, online service vendors, and even dog food providers but no one saw the relationship between the police and herbalists happening.
The CP made this call at a workshop organised by the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), for alternative medicine practitioners in the Ogun state. “Help us to make the state free of kidnapping, cultism and dealings in human parts. Assess your clients to ascertain the genuineness and legality of the help they seek from you,” he implored the participants of the workshop.
The police in Nigeria has been plagued by public distrust as the uniform is viewed as a symbol of corruption and graft, inefficiency and brutality. “Checkpoint bribery” is still a common occurrence between the police and commuters, and it is not unusual for armed gangs to have better relationships with officers than citizens.
The police have even tried to address the increasing cases of brutality and torture against members of the public, by setting up the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) to monitor the conduct of its personnel, yet there are thousands of unreported cases against the police.
Well, who are the herbalists we’re talking about?
In the position of the African traditional belief system and in Nigeria in particular, there are two groups that are recognised in relation to the “herbalists” of discussion.
The Witches and Wizards Association of Nigeria (WITZAN) and the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) – the former are concerned with the mystic and regulation of the occult and seen in the same circles as religion while the latter involve what some term as alchemy or a thorough knowledge of plants and their uses especially healthwise.
It is believed that the police intend to work with the latter of the groups, as “herbalists” are well aware of activities that have led to kidnapping and related vices as well as catering a diverse clientele with different needs – but there’s just a little bone of contention: traditional practitioners do not consider themselves to be herbalists – so who is the police working with?
Well, one does not expect the Nigerian police to seek spiritual “fortification” from the herbalists, rather, establishing a network that is centred on access to information as the police is guided by intelligence.
Ogun state, where the CP made the call has been burdened with reports of human trafficking, money rituals, and the lot, but so have other states in Nigeria, so, is the call to work together aimed at just this state alone or is there an intention to take it nationwide?
Elsewhere on the African continent, partnerships with “herbalists” have been established – Blade Nzimande, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education and Training, announced plans to have witchcraft included in the curriculum from 2018; President Paul Biya of Cameroon, gave approval for the use of witches and wizards to fight Boko Haram insurgents.
