There is hardly any street in Calabar, Cross River State capital without a church where gospel messages and prayers spew forth regularly, yet fetish and diabolical activities are pervasive and have strong influence on a large size of the population.
The average resident of the ancient city is familiar with strange occurrences which in other places are dismissed with the wave of the hand. For instance, domestic pets like cats, which are cherished by their owners for their beauty and friendly nature, are believed to possess diabolical powers to attack at will in Calabar. The sluggish creature, tortoise, is seen a harbinger of evil messages while the vulture, a bird of prey, is regularly sent on evil errands. Insects like the millipede are manipulated to settle scores.
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