Missionary profile – Irene Isiguzo

Irene Isiguzo, Nigerian missionary with CAPRO

I worked among the Hausa in Northern Nigeria, and one of the things that I witnessed as a young missionary was the manifestation of a bori spirit.  It transpired as we were living among the Maguzawas, a particular Hausa group who are not called that anymore.

We were living in our thatched hut made of mud with a grass roof, among the other huts and very close to others in the community.  One day suddenly we saw one of the ladies begin to spin.  In that place, the bori spirit was one which would come upon women, especially barren women, who have been known to be married for many years with no children.  The spirit is usually invoked by a particular kind of instrument, a harp.  When the harpist begins to play, then the spirit is invoked and it comes upon the barren woman.

I can still see the scene in my mind, even though it was more than 30 years ago.  She suddenly began to twist and turn like a drunk person or someone in a trance.  It was clear she had been possessed by something.  She turned round and round and round.  I am Nigerian and we grow up knowing that there are spirits and seeing manifestations, and I could immediately see that something had taken possession of her.  This was before I knew the story about the bori spirits.  The woman fell to the ground, and I don’t know if eventually she did have a child, but I doubt it.  In that place, the bori spirit is well known and sacrifices are made among the trees there because those people believe that the spirit resides in those trees.

When I saw this I was terrified and did not know how to respond.  I remembered a book by David MacClung, one of the leaders of YWAM, called “On the Devil’s Doorstep” and realized that I was actually on the devil’s doorstep but hadn’t realized it. Over the years, spiritual warfare as become a big part of our lives as missionaries.  We‘ve had a series of experiences of having to actually confront evil forces and deliver people, so we have had to study, from coaching from those more experienced, and also by gaining maturity to apply what we have learned.