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“Benin City is one of those States in Nigeria where they believe a lot in thiswodoo thing (…) therefore it is for that reason that the pimps always seek [thegirls, Ed.] there. These girls are raised since they are children knowing that wodooexists” (Interview Victim No.4).Even if the dominant religion of Nigeria is Christian (Catholics andProtestants), the supernatural-traditional dimension is very much felt: it isdescribed as “A society rich in superstition, where the rational and magic arejoined and the monotheistic religion joined with spiritism ” 21 .From the evidence supplied by the victims of trafficking, there emerges acertain freedom of choice, which translates into the co-presence and living besidepeople of different appurtenance, even within the same family group. In themajority of cases, however, such freedom is very relative, from the moment thatanimism, if it is practised by the head of the family, prevails over the otherreligious practises. The cultural and social pressure reinforces and supports theanimist roots. It follows those ambivalent religious beliefs, an Animist-Christiansynchronism, which co-exists in the same person and in the entire community.“This is my culture, I was born and raised there, I feel the things that happen,this is my religion, this is my culture, I think that [wodoo, Ed.] will exist forever(...). So it is something in which one believes, growing, seeing my grandparents,my parents, it is something within you. When the girls come and they tell me «Ibelieve», I don’t judge them, because it is their religion (…). Catholic, in Africa, ingeneral, means that you are mixed with others. You go to church, you are catholic,yes, you are Muslim, yes, you are Buddhist, yes!!! (…) the strong thing depends onwhat your parents do because with us it is said that the children grow from theirorigins, of the head of the family. You can go to church if you want, you can goand be a Buddhist if you want, you can go to the Muslims if you want but whenfather has to do what he does, you must be present. You are there. So, I havealways believed that I am Catholic because I was raised in Lagos [with the uncle,Ed.] and my uncle is Catholic. On Wednesdays we are at mass, Saturdayafternoon, Sunday morning, there are problems if you do not go to mass. But if youare in Benin City [with the parents, Ed.], I tell my mother that I am going to massand she replies «But what mass, sit here». My mother was never a Catholic, myfather is half Catholic and half doing his own thing and says «I make my wodoo, Igo to church, I am only looking for a way to thank God» ” (Interview Victim No.7).A Nigerian sister of the congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Benin Cityreferring to this says: “We always say that one does not need to believe because itdoesn’t matter. But it is difficult. Even the priests speak against wodoo, but theydon’t feel (…) it is something connected to the culture, they can practice, come tochurch and make wodoo” (Fernandez Centre - Castelvolturno).The types of rite to condition and ratify the undertaking of the women to obeyand to pay the contracted debt consist in taking underwear from the same andwrapping it inside these small locks of hair, pubic hair and nails from the hands andfeet. All this is folded in a piece of paper, and on the outside the madam writes thename of the person who swore allegiance and subordination. The wrapping then21Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (2001).