Leo Igwe is a Nigerian human rights advocate and humanist. A former representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union and leader of the Nigerian Humanist Movement, he has specialised in campaigning against and documenting the impact of witchcraft allegations. He continues to campaign against superstition and to advance scepticism throughout Africa and the world. In 2014 he was chosen as laureate of the International Academy of Humanism.

Here, he discusses Christian and Muslim extremism, religious tension, the corrosive impact of traditional practices like witch-hunting, and the difficulties of being openly God-less in Nigeria.

What is it like to be an atheist in Nigeria? Can you freely express your views?

It is dangerous to be an atheist in Nigeria but the scale of danger one faces and the risks one runs depends on many factors - the part of Nigeria where one resides, the family background, the level of education, one's socio-economic position, and the kind of atheist one wants to be: closeted or open and public. Atheists are not free to express their views in Nigeria. Atheism is a taboo, a forbidden fruit. Most people in Nigeria prefer that atheists keep their atheism to themselves. But it is less dangerous to be an atheist in Christian-dominated southern Nigeria than in the north, where Islam is professed by most people and sharia law is in force.

In Christian communities, many people see atheists as fools who, out of ignorance, do not know God and will one day realise their foolishness and return to God. Atheists who are open and public are under constant social pressure to abandon their evil ways and views and embrace Jesus. But in the Muslim communities, particularly in the sharia states of northern Nigeria, the situation is worse. Renouncing Islam and embracing atheism is like passing a death sentence on oneself. Renouncing Islam is apostasy, and apostasy is a crime punishable by death. Expressing atheistic views can easily be interpreted as a form of blasphemy. Blasphemy is a crime punishable by death. Expressing atheistic views can easily be taken to be an insult to Islam or to Allah or to his Prophet Muhammed. And all these are serious crimes in the eyes of Muslim fanatics in Nigeria. So there are two places for an atheist in sharia communities: in the closet or in the grave. Islam may mean peace for Muslim faithfuls in Nigeria, but for atheists it means war. The Islamic establishment is engaged in a constant battle against infidels and unbelievers. It has no humanly dignified and respectable space for atheists and godless people.

You have campaigned against "witch-hunters" in Nigeria. Could you tell me more about this?

Witch-hunting is history in Europe and in many parts of the world. But in Africa and some black immigrant communities in the west, witch-hunting is a contemporary reality.

I am working to rally the international community against witch-hunting in the region, because many people around the globe do not know that it still happens on a massive scale in Africa, and because they know very little they cannot take appropriate action against these horrific abuses. Very little is going on in terms of effective anti-witchcraft campaigning in the region, because most campaigners do not want to offend the cultural and religious sentiments of the people. I am championing and facilitating a campaign, and working with local activists in Nigeria, Ghana and Malawi to support victims of witchcraft accusation, including elderly women who were banished to witch camps, children abandoned and exiled from their homes, and those prosecuted and imprisoned for committing the imaginary crime of witchcraft in Malawi.

To stop witch-hunting, witch-hunters - traditional, Christian and Muslim - must be stopped. I have particularly campaigned to prevent Christian witch-hunters like Helen Ukpabio, Enoch Adeboye and David Oyedepo from spreading their diseased gospel at home and abroad. In Nigeria and other countries in the region, Christian pastors recharge the witchcraft narratives using Christian texts and messages. They incite hatred and violence against vulnerable members of the population in the name of spreading the word of God. Some churches are using it as an evangelical tool. These pastors do not just propagate their gospel at home, they want to extend their witch-hunting ministry to Europe, America and Australia. Ukpabio is trying to open branches of her witch-finding and witch-exorcising Liberty Gospel Church in the UK and the United States.

I am campaigning to get humanists, atheists and sceptics in these countries to speak out against these medieval throwbacks and their violent brand of Christianity.

What is the best way to tackle this?

Victims of witch-hunting need the support of sceptically oriented and rationally minded people worldwide. Most anti witch-hunting campaigners adopt a strategy which does not address the root of the problem. They focus on providing humanitarian support to victims, not engaging in public enlightenment. People in Africa indulge in witchcraft accusations due to misconceptions about dreams, sickness, death, accidents and other forms of misfortune. And any campaign to effectively tackle the problem of witch-hunting in Africa must include educational programs to dispel these beliefs and change the mind set of the people. It must include a huge dose of sceptical and rational thought.

UN bodies prefer an interfaith, not a secular, rationalist approach. They do not want to challenge the traditional, Christian and Islamic witchcraft narratives which are often employed to justify witch persecution and execution. I am critical of the faith-based approach. Though I acknowledge the need to bring people of faith on board this important campaign, I submit that persuading people of faith on the basis of science, reason and critical thinking will ultimately prove more effective. Belief in witchcraft is a matter of faith, not a matter of fact. Witch-hunting, like other faith practices, is an exercise in religion and supernaturalism. So a faith-based strategy is deeply flawed, because it cannot take as much of a definitive and credible stand against the belief in witchcraft as a rationalist and critical-thinking oriented position does. A faith-based approach is likely to be entangled in theological niceties and quibbles that becloud the objectives of the campaign. It will end up reinforcing the underlying spiritual and supernatural narratives of magic and sorcery.

In your view, what are the most important issues for humanists in Nigeria?

A major issue is getting the government to respect and recognise the human rights of humanists. For humanists to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the society they need to be recognised as human beings. They need to be treated with dignity and respect. Another issue is combating harmful traditional practices. Too often religion, tradition and culture are used to justify harmful practices like FGM, osu caste system, homophobia, widowhood practices, child sacrifice, or the ritual killing of albinos and disabled persons. Tradition or religion is often used to frustrate efforts to eradicate harmful beliefs.

Abolishing religious privilege is another crucial issue. In Nigeria, the major religions - Islam and Christianity- are privileged, and this has legitimised religious discrimination and hampered the realisation of a secular Nigeria. Related to this is the state implementation of sharia law. It is not the business of the state to enforce the law of any religion, it is rather the business of persons who practice such faiths.

How can religious tension in Nigeria be addressed?

The Nigerian state needs to be disentangled from religion - from political Christianity and political Islam. State actors need to end this situation where the government is biased towards Islam in the north and towards Christianity in most parts of the south. As a matter of urgency, those who govern Nigeria need to rediscover the wisdom in Section 10 of the nation's constitution which says: ''No part of the Federation or State should adopt any religion as state religion'. 'They need to turn the Nigerian state into an impartial guarantor of the rights of all Nigerians. Religious tension will persist in Nigeria as long as some parts of the Nigerian state continues to discriminate against individuals on religious grounds

Boko Haram have gained international notoriety. How can extremism in Nigeria be countered?

Boko Haram is an off-shoot of Islamic extremism. Nigeria must confront the monster of jihadist Islam head on by steering the state away from political Islam. Nigeria must dethrone political Islam and enthrone the rule of (secular) law. Boko Haram is a product of the unconstitutional marriage and merging of mosque and state in northern Nigeria, the unaddressed state of impunity and crimes, corruption and abuse in the name of Islam. The time has come for politicians to commence the tough but necessary process of erecting a wall separating mosque and state and loosening the grip of political Islam on the law and justice system, morality and ethics, education and human rights in Nigeria. Proactive secularism should be used to counter the militant extremist, islamist campaign of Boko Haram.

Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, is a high profile humanist. How are his religious opinions viewed in Nigeria?

Wole Soyinka is widely respected in Nigeria more because of his literary works than his religious opinions. Soyinka's ideas of religion are not reckoned with at all in the country. I think most Nigerians regard them as heretical and blasphemous. Not heretical to the point of attacking him for expressing them, but at least blasphemous enough to be ignored. One of the reasons why Nigeria is mired in this bloody conflict with Boko Haram is because it has largely ignored and failed to put into good use the humanistic thoughts and wise ideas of the likes of Wole Soyinka.