Section 204-213 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Section 204-213 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Section 204-213 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act is under Chapter 19 (Offences relating to religious worship) and Chapter 20 (Ordeal, Witchcraft, Juju and Criminal Charms) of the Act.

Section 204 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Insult to a religion

Any person who does an act which any class of persons consider as a public insult on their religion, with
the intention that they should consider the act such an insult, and any person who does an unlawful act
with the knowledge that any class of persons will consider it such an insult, is guilty of a misdemeanour
and is liable to imprisonment for two years.

Section 205 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Offering violence to officiating ministers of religion

Any person who‐
(1) by threats or force prevents or attempts to prevent any minister of religion from lawfully
officiating in any place of religious worship, or from performing his duty in the lawful burial of the dead
in any cemetery or other burial place; or
(2) by threats or force obstructs or attempts to obstruct, any minister of religion while so
officiating or performing his duty; or
(3) assaults, or, upon or under the pretence of executing any civil process, arrests any minister
of religion who is engaged in, or is, to the knowledge of the offender, about to engage in, any of the
offices or duties aforesaid, or who is, to the knowledge of the offender, going to perform the same or
returning from the performance thereof,
is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for two years.

Section 206 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Disturbing religious worship

Any person who wilfully and without lawful justification or excuse, the proof of which lies on him,
disquiets, or disturbs any meeting of persons lawfully assembled for religious worship, or assaults any
person lawfully officiating at any such meeting, or any of the persons there assembled, is guilty of a
simple offence and is liable to imprisonment for two months or to a fine of ten naira.

CHAPTER 20 – Ordeal, witchcraft, juju and criminal charms

Section 207 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Unlawful trial by ordeal: prohibited juju

(1) The trial by the ordeal of sasswood, esere‐bean, or the poison, boiling oil, fire, immersion in
water or exposure to the attacks of crocodiles or other wild animals, or by any ordeal which is likely to
result in the death of or bodily injury to any party to the proceeding, is unlawful.
(2) The President or, as the case may be, the Governor of a State may by order prohibit the
worship or invocation of any juju which may appear to him to involve or tend towards the commission
of any crime or breach of peace, or to the spread of any infectious or contagious disease.

Section 208 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Directing, etc., unlawful trial by ordeal

Any person who directs or controls or presides at any trial by ordeal which is unlawful, is guilty of a
felony and is liable, when the trial which such person directs, controls or presides at results in the death
of any party to the proceeding, to the punishment of death and m every other case, to imprisonment for
ten years.

Section 209 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Being present at, or making poison for, unlawful trial by ordeal

Any person who‐
(a) is present at or takes part in any trial by ordeal which is unlawful; or
(b) makes, sells or assists or takes part in making or selling, or has in his possession for sale
or use any poison or thing which is intended to be used for the purpose of any trial by
ordeal which is unlawful,
is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.

Section 210 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Offences in relation to witchcraft and juju

Any person who‐
(a) by his statements or actions represents himself to be a witch or to have the power of
witchcraft; or
(b) accuses or threatens to accuse any person with being a witch or with having the power
of witchcraft; or
(c) makes or sells or uses, or assists or takes part in making or selling or using or has in his
possession or represents himself to be in possession of any juju, drug or charm which is
intended to be used or reported to possess the power to prevent or delay any person
from doing an act which such person has a legal right to do, or to compel any person to
do an act which such person has a legal right to refrain from doing, or which is alleged or
reported to possess the power of causing any natural phenomenon or any disease or
epidemic; or
(d) directs or controls or presides at or is present at or takes part in the worship or
invocation of any juju which is prohibited by an order of the President or the Governor
of a State; or
(e) is in possession of or has control over any human remains which are used or are
intended to be used in connection with the worship or invocation of any juju; or
(f) makes or uses or assists in making or using, or has in his possession anything
whatsoever the making, use or possession of which has been prohibited by an order as
being or believed to be associated with human sacrifice or other unlawful practice,
is guilty of misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for two years.

Section 211 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Chiefs permitting unlawful ordeal and prohibited juju worship

Any chief who directly or indirectly permits, promotes, encourages or facilitates any trial by ordeal
which is unlawful, or the worship or invocation of any juju which has been prohibited by an order, or
who knowing of such trial, worship or invocation, or intended trial, worship or invocation, does not
forthwith report the same to an administrative officer, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment
for three years.
[L.N. 257 of 1959.]
The offender cannot be arrested without warrant.

Section 212 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Destruction of place where unlawful ordeal or prohibited juju worship is held

Any house, grove or place in which it has been customary to hold any trial by ordeal which is unlawful,
or the worship or invocation of any juju which is prohibited by an order, may, together with all articles
found therein, be destroyed or erased upon the order of any court by such persons as the court may
direct.
[L.N. 257 of 1959.]

Section 213 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act

Criminal charms

Any person who‐
(a) makes, sells or keeps for sale or for hire or reward, any fetish or charm which is pretended or
reputed to possess power to protect burglars, robbers, thieves or other malefactors, or to aid or
assist in any way in the perpetration of any burglary, housebreaking, robbery or theft, or in the
perpetration of any offence whatsoever, or to prevent, hinder or delay the detection of or
conviction for any offence whatsoever; or
(b) is found having in his possession without lawful and reasonable excuse (the proof of which
excuse shall lie on such person) any such fetish or charm as aforesaid,
is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years.

Credit: https://lawsofnigeria.placng.org/laws/C38.pdf