A very disturbing video went viral recently. It showed hundreds of people trooping to a location in Hotoron Arewa, a suburb of Kano, Kano State. In the video, the surging crowd frantically rushed to have joyous gulps of, and a bathing session inside, muddy water which the locals of Horoton Arewa and its neighbourhood believed possessed metaphysical and spiritual powers. According to the locals, the water was a product of the “footsteps of Prophet Muhammad” as could be seen boldly inscribed on the ground where the water is located. Media reports indicated that this particular “prophetic” pond had for long been visited by many individuals on a daily pilgrimage. Visitors from far and near thronged it not only out of curiosity but for purification and healing purposes. The bulk of visitors to the “footsteps of Prophet Muhammad” were persons suffering from strange illnesses who believed that gulping this dirty and disease-prone water would grant them miraculous healing. According to reports, men, women and children jostled for access to this muddy pool, scooping it into plastic bottles, some having a gulp of it with their cupped hands while many others merely poured it into their hands as a form of ritual bath.
It was further reported that Horoton Arewa, through these “mysterious footsteps of Prophet Muhammad,” had morphed into a spiritual healing spot. At the spot, witnesses recorded scary scenes of people “prostrating, praying, and rubbing the muddy water onto their bodies in solemn reverence.” Even with the lack of discernible correlation between the alleged strange inscription on the ground in the area and healing, visitors to the site had quadrupled due to the viral videos accessed by thousands of people on the social media. Those who sought medical reprieve for their sick relatives also dragged them to the spot for their desired healing.
The scenario in Horoton Arewa is a reflection of the obsession of many Nigerians with mysticism and healing. It is also a scary bounce-back on the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system. Ultimately, it calls for a deeper reflection on the havoc done to the minds of Nigerians by endemic poverty and ignorance, which encourage superstitious beliefs that are patiently dehumanizing. There is no shred of historical evidence indicating that the Islamic Prophet ever visited Nigeria, but this did not count in the estimation of the Kano healing water faithful. Apparently, the people of Horoton Arewa and the sojourners to the site in question did not have any qualms about mixing their Islamic religious faith with another belief which is downright mystical. More importantly, the case presents a kind of fanaticism which even a scientific mind may not be able to cure. Those who drink this water and deploy it for other purificative purposes do so due to long years of immersion in denigrating superstitions.
The Kano State government should be bothered about the claim that its people drink this apparently contaminated water. That dirty water will create serious health challenges and even a potential epidemic in the neighbourhood. The government has a bounden duty to provide enough access to hospital and healthcare services and, through public enlightenment, curb the tendency to see healing remedies in odd places. The Kano Hisbah outfit has reportedly demolished the site. That is the way to go. The state government must ensure that it is not revived under any guise. We also call on religious leaders to guide their people on the right path and steer them away from destructive superstitions. A belief which could make people drink muddy and disease-carrying water in the name of religion is undesirable.
The viral videos cast Nigeria in extremely negative light. Looking at the disturbing videos, members of the global community are bound to see Nigeria and its people as warped-minded and lacking access to good healthcare facilities.
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