LAGOS, Nigeria (CHATNEWSTV) — The daughter of Helen Ukpabio, a prominent Nigerian actress, movie producer, and church leader, has publicly shared her trauma over ongoing criticism of her mother’s work. Helen Ukpabio, best known for her witchcraft-themed Nollywood films from the late 1990s and early 2000s, has long been a polarizing figure in Nigeria.
“I grew up with so much pain around this scandal,” Ukpabio’s daughter, Ima Elijah, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. Her comment came as a renewed wave of criticism hit her mother, who celebrated her 60th birthday the same day.
Ima Elijah defended her mother, insisting that the allegations against her—accusations that her movies and church teachings encourage violence against people suspected of witchcraft—are unjust.
She challenged critics, asking, “How did Helen make you kill your kids? Why isn’t she arrested or ever investigated locally?”
Elijah further suggested that her mother was targeted because she “refused to join an international cult.”
Critics Remain Unconvinced
Ima’s defense drew a swift response from Ideba Edu Ele, a social worker and founder of the Bonnicare Foundation in Cross River State, where Helen Ukpabio’s Liberty Gospel Church is based.
Edu responded directly to Ima, saying, “I know and saw with my own eyes. I want to fight you, but I can’t. The nerve for me. Shut your mouth up.”
Edu shared a video showing Helen Ukpabio explaining various types of witchcraft during a church sermon, where she described “dormant black witchcraft,” “community witchcraft,” and other categories. Critics argue that such teachings fuel superstitious beliefs and have led to real-world consequences.
One story, shared by Edu on X, involved a 15-year-old orphan from Cross River accused of witchcraft by her own relatives.
“Her relatives insisted that Gift must make their grandchild (baby) to walk before they will let her step her foot in a school,” Edu wrote.
Despite her pleas, the girl was barred from continuing her education.
Impact on Communities
The controversy surrounding Helen Ukpabio’s films and church activities has centered on their alleged role in reinforcing harmful stereotypes about witchcraft. Human rights advocates say that this has contributed to the harassment, torture, and even murder of individuals—especially vulnerable children and women—who are accused of practicing witchcraft.
Witch-hunting remains a pressing issue in southern Nigeria, particularly in Cross River and neighboring Akwa Ibom. While legislation exists to combat these practices, enforcement is often weak, and many cases go unpunished. Activists have highlighted the plight of street children in Akwa Ibom, many of whom are abandoned or persecuted after being labeled as witches.
“We are raising a generation of people who are so traumatised,” Etinosa Yvonne, a documentary photographer, said last year during a photo exhibition in Uyo, Akwa Ibom’s capital. Her exhibit, ‘It’s All in My Head’, brought attention to the emotional and psychological scars borne by survivors of witch-hunting.
In one particularly harrowing account, Yvonne recalled, “I met with a child who told me how his father tied his hands and wanted to throw him into a river, and he kept shouting, ‘Daddy, I am not a witch.’ The father looked at him, cut the rope, and threw him away.”
