NGO Rescues Boy From Claws Of Witch-Hunters

FOR several years, the rights of children have continued to suffer all forms of societal abuses. It is sad to know that few years after the promulgation of the Child Rights Law, its implementation has yet to tame some harmful socio-cultural practices, notably labeling of children as witches, particularly in Akwa-Ibom State.

FOR several years, the rights of children have continued to suffer all forms of societal abuses. It is sad to know that few years after the promulgation of the Child Rights Law, its implementation has yet to tame some harmful socio-cultural practices, notably labeling of children as witches, particularly in Akwa-Ibom State. This practice, which is well ingrained in religion, often gains momentum from many self-styled pastors who ‘exorcise’ these helpless and unfortunate children and influence their parents to throw them into the streets as outcasts.

The cheering news, however, is that a non governmental organisation, Young Humanistas Network and the Child Right And Rehabilitation Network(YHN)/(CRARN) have taken up the fight for children who are stigmatised through witch-hunting. The activity of the organisation was recently brought to the fore in Akwa-Ibom State, when it arrested one Mr. Michael Effiong for stigmatising and abandoning his son, Benjamin Michael Effiong.

The boy was found abandoned in the street by a YHN/CRARN investigation officer, Mr Bassey Antia, who promptly rescued him and reported the matter to the police. Ayobami Ojedokun, the project/centre manager of YHN/ CRARN Stigmatised Children Transit Centre in Eket, Akwa-Ibom State, informed Nigerian Tribune that the decision to take action by arresting the parent is necessary to deter other parents from abandoning their children and wards in the street. Ojedokun said the arrest of the accused person was made possible by the Child Rights Bill passed by the Akwa-Ibom State government to protect children in the state against witch stigmatisation and child abandonment by either parents or wards in the state.

“There is a need to commend both the state government, who made the bill available to safeguard the future of the children in the state, and the police for their prompt response in arresting the accused person immediately the case was reported to them,” he noted.

He observed further that, “This arrest will serve as an example to parents and wards who might be planning on

taking the same course of action as they would know that there is a penalty for their actions against children and that the government is serious in its effort to protect the right of children in the state.”

From preliminary investigations, it was discovered that Benjamin Effiong had previously being rescued from the street by the organisation after he was thrown out and labelled as a witch, but was later re-united with his parent last year. Mr Antia, the YHN investigation officer, said it was saddening that the same boy who was re-united with his parent just last year was already back in the street. “We have taken the child back to the centre for medical care and case filing purpose. Once we are through with the prosecution of the accused person, the child will be transferred to the government centre at Uyo,” he stated.

Bassey added that the child is currently staying at YHN/CRARN Stigmatised Child Transit Centre. In order to curb further menace of parents abandoning their children on the street based on witchcraft accusations, YHN/CRARN has intensified efforts on enlightenment activities across the state. This is done through sponsoring of educative jingles on local broadcasting radio stations in the state and through community advocacy meetings with elders and representatives of the local towns as well as meeting with men and women of God who mostly are culprits at labelling the children as witches.

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Female Pastor Buried Alive By family Members, Accused Of Witchcraft

For allegedly killing five family members for money making ritual locally known as mkpinon in Efik, a prophetess, Utang Edet Effiong, has been buried alive by angry family members.

Utang Edet, who owned a church in her native village of Ikot Edem Odo in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, Southsouth Nigeria, was accused of offering her family members for money making ritual and before she was buried alive, she had allegedly killed five members of the family.

A family source in Ikot Edem Odo told us that mysterious deaths regularly occurred in the family without anyone knowing the cause of death until Joseph Edet Offiong died early February this year.

“We concluded that we had to do something before premature death took everyone in the family away,” Ekanma Edet Offiong, a member of the family said.

According to her, the family met and resolved that there should be findings to know what was the cause of the deaths and “we decided to send somebody to Anang in Akwa Ibom State to find out and eventually we discovered that she was responsible for the killings and more were lined up to die if she was not stopped.”

She said when the family discovered that she was responsible for the killings, a meeting was summoned and she was invited to appear before the family to explain her role but she refused to honour the family’s invitations and gave excuses that she was too busy with church activities. That convinced the family further that she was aware of what was happening or had a hand in the deaths, Ekanma added.

The family, another source which craves anonymity told P.M.NEWS, was yet to decide what to do with the prophetess when Edet Edet Offiong, a twin brother of Joseph Edet Offiong who died recently, could not bear the grief and pain of the loss of his twin brother and had to lead some of his friends to the prophetess’ house one night and took her to the bush where they dug a grave and shoved her in and covered her with sand.

“At about 2 a.m. on that night, Edet Edet Offiong led Nsikak Emmanuel Tom, Ekpo Archibong Ekpo, and Edet Etim to the prophetess’ house and on arrival, her brother Edet Edet Offiong called her to come out and when she asked him what he was doing in her house at that time of night, the boys told her to shut up and come out,” said our source.

The source said when she eventually came out, they dealt her some blows and took her to the bush where they buried her alive.

The matter was reported to the police who have arrested five suspects in connection with the murder and detained them at the Police Headquarters at Diamond Hill, Calabar.

ASP Hogan Bassey said the suspects would soon appear in court after “investigations have been concluded.”

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Pair murdered boy ‘for being a witch’

A couple have been convicted of murdering a teenage boy who was tortured and drowned for being a witch.

Kristy Bamu, 15, was killed by his sister Magalie, 29, and her partner Eric Bikubi, 28.

He died in a bath at their tower block flat in Newham, east London, on Christmas Day 2010 after days of being abused. He had come to London from Paris with his two brothers and two sisters to spend the festive season with Magalie.

But things turned sour when the couple, who were said to be obsessed with witchcraft known as kindoki in their native Democratic Republic of Congo, accused him of putting spells on a younger child.

Football coach Bikubi and Magalie were found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey and will be sentenced on Monday.

Judge David Paget told the jury of seven women and five men that the case was so “harrowing” he was exempting them from jury service for the rest of their lives. “It is a case we will all remember,” he told them. “Court staff will speak to you and offer help to you.”

Kristy’s family was not in London for the verdicts but a statement was read from his father, Pierre. He said: “Kristy died in unimaginable circumstances at the hands of people he loved and trusted – people we all loved and trusted. I feel betrayed. How could they accuse, judge and sentence? To know that Kristy’s own sister, Magalie, did nothing to save him makes the pain that much worse.”

Detectives said other children in Britain had been subjected to terrible ordeals after being accused of witchcraft. And children’s charities and aid groups called for more to be done to make carers and churches aware of possible abuse.

The court heard that Kristy was in such pain after three days of fasting and being attacked that he “begged to die”. He had been struck with knives, sticks, metal bars, and a hammer and a chisel. After he refused to admit to sorcery and witchcraft, his punishments in a “deliverance” ceremony became more horrendous.

At the end of their ordeal, the brothers and sisters were all placed in the bath to be hosed down in cold water with a shower head. Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, said: “It was only when he realised that Kristy was not moving that Eric Bikubi stopped what he was doing and pulled him from the water. By then it was too late.” Kristy had 130 separate injuries and died from a combination of being beaten and drowning.

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