Case file · Witch trials
The 'man-leopard murders' of Calabar Province
Between 1945 and 1948, police in Calabar Province (now southeastern Nigeria) counted 196 men, women and children killed in what were called 'man-leopard murders', staged to look like leopard attacks.
1946 CE · 4.98, 7.79 · status: official
The account
In 1945 a murder suspect confessed to belonging to a secret leopard society, and a chief and his son were arrested. Most victims were women and about 30% children. A 1947 inquiry found that locals blamed personal conflicts such as debts and dowry disputes. The killings largely ended after 1947. The plotted point (Abak) is approximate.