The Lobi people migrated into Burkina Faso from present day Ghana around 1770.  Today they live across Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast and Ghana. They mostly practice hoe farming, living on millet, sorghum and corn, and rear cattle in the northern savannah regions.

The Lobi revere supernatural spirits known as Thil.  Shrines are built to these spirits under the instruction of a sorcerer and placed either on the roof or inside the home.  These shrines are filled with objects such as vessels, abstract iron figures, and stone and wood figures known as Bateba.  The Bateba are believed to embody the Thil spirits and can be used to communicate with one another to fight off witches.

Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc.