As banditry, kidnapping and insurgency spread across Nigeria, some traumatised communities are turning to charms, ritual fortification, magic and ancestral spirits for protection. This response deserves neither ridicule nor romanticisation. It should be understood as evidence of fear—and of the widening failure of the state to protect its citizens.
Traditional hunters and vigilantes in different parts of Nigeria have long used amulets, incantations and protective rituals. Some undergo ceremonies described as being “cooked,” believing that the process can protect them against bullets and blades.
These practices are documented, although their prevalence cannot be measured reliably. Reuters photographed anti-Boko Haram hunters displaying charms in Maiduguri in 2014. Researchers have also recorded the use of protective amulets among vigilantes in Lagos, while groups such as the Bakassi Boys became associated with “odeshi”—the claimed power to resist bullets and other weapons.
Such beliefs may strengthen courage, discipline, solidarity and psychological confidence. In communities where official security forces are absent or distrusted, spiritual rituals may also legitimise local defenders and reassure frightened residents.
However, there is no credible evidence that charms make the human body bulletproof. The danger arises when psychological confidence becomes tactical recklessness. Poorly armed volunteers who believe they cannot be killed may confront bandits and insurgents equipped with assault rifles, machine guns and superior communications. The result can be avoidable deaths.
History offers similar warnings. During the Anglo-Aro War, the Satiru uprising and the Maji Maji rebellion in German East Africa, spiritual authority helped mobilise resistance against colonial domination. Communities fought with extraordinary courage, but belief could not overcome machine guns, military logistics and organised firepower.
This does not suggest that colonialism was morally superior. Colonial conquest was frequently violent, exploitative and brutal. The lesson is narrower: courage and spiritual conviction cannot replace intelligence, training, equipment, communications and disciplined organisation.
Colonial victories also weakened some traditional religious institutions and created greater space for Christian missions, schools and Western education. Yet indigenous ideas about spiritual power did not disappear. They survived, adapted and influenced aspects of contemporary African Christianity, including teachings about spiritual warfare, curses, deliverance and supernatural protection.
The real issue, therefore, is not simply why communities believe in charms. Nigeria should ask why so many citizens have been left unprotected that supernatural intervention appears to be their remaining defence.
Traditional hunters and community vigilantes can contribute local knowledge and early warning. But they require proper training, protective equipment, lawful supervision and coordination with professional security agencies.
Nigeria must not leave frightened communities to confront modern weapons with ancient promises. Faith may inspire courage, but only an effective and accountable security system can provide sustainable protection.
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