Nigeria's fatal anti-bullet test (Darwin award finalist)

BBC On-Line ^ | Wednesday, 17 December, 2003 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Last Updated: Wednesday, 17 December, 2003, 17:20 GMT

Nigeria's fatal anti-bullet test

In Africa the belief in witchcraft and charms is rife

A traditional healer in Nigeria has died after an anti-bullet charm he prepared failed a potency test.

The healer, Ashi Terfa, was allegedly shot dead by a client in Benue state, during trials for his product.

The herbalist reportedly tied the charm round his neck and asked his client to shoot him to test its efficacy.

The client, Umaa Akor, has been charged with homicide since the herbalist allegedly asked to be shot at, according to police spokesman Bode Fakeye.

AFP news agency reports that the traditional healer's skull was shattered after he insisted that a gun be fired at him.

Mr Akor had reportedly sought "insurance" against bullets from the traditional healer.

Belief in witchcraft and charms thrives in Africa.

Traditional healers are widely consulted for "cures" of various ailments and magical powers to protect their clients from a wide range of misfortunes.

[GreenHornet]

Officials at ACME Corporation, manufacturer of the ACME "Do it yourself anti-bullet charm kit", were unavailable for comment.

[King Prout]

that might be why there seem to be more conservatives in the hard sciences and more leftists in the soft disciplines.
in math and physics, mechanics, ballistics, etc... there is what works or what does not, a right answer and wrong answers, hard standards above contestation.
In the soft disciplines, like "english lit" et omnia generis alia, right and wrong are debatable qualities rather than indisputable measurable quantities.

[LibKill]

That's all well. I am no mathematician, but I know that good wishes will not stop a bullet.

That's why I'm conservative, or at least leaning to conservative.

"Common Sense" is a misnomer, but some of us have it.

[Charles Henrickson]

[Vision]

The client, Umaa Akor, has been charged with homicide since the herbalist allegedly asked to be shot at, according to police spokesman Bode Fakeye.

Huh?

AFP news agency reports that the traditional healer's skull was shattered after he insisted that a gun be fired at him.

I don't know how you all test your anti bullet charms, but we shoot for the foot.

[martin_fierro]

OK, now I get that whole George Clinton / Sun Ra thing.

[yankeedame]

LOL!! (Being the owner servant of three cats, boy,oh,boy did this picture strike a cord!)

[MeekOneGOP]

ha ! ha ! ha !

[Eaker]

I don't understand how that thing didn't work. The plan sounded foolproof to me. Maybe the string used to hang the charm was defective.

Now THAT is funny!!!!

[yankeedame]

Officials at ACME Corporation, manufacturer of the ACME "Do it yourself anti-bullet charm kit", were unavailable for comment...

...but an inside source says that the family's attorney has recently obtained confidential company memos purportedly showing senior management was aware of the potential hazards.