Child witches of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria is the latest episode in the unending saga of tragedies pervading Nigeria. Imagine innocent children, some as young as two months old, being branded witches and wizards and tortured for allegedly being "responsible" for the misfortunes of their parents. They are tortured to confess their culpability in witchcraft and wizardry, abandoned, maimed and sometimes even killed for this superstition. It is unbelievable but true of this primitive Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria and pictures do not lie that in this 21st century,
people of Akwa Ibom State are still so primitive it hurts. What will the real cave-man do? Please do yourself a service, click the links below, to see how uncivilized and primitive some parts of Nigeria still is. Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria is the culprit today and it is in a part of the geographical area of Nigeria that used to kill twins, believing they portend bad omen, until the arrival of Mary Slessior who stopped the practice. It is also highly rumoured that some people in Akwa Ibom state from Ugep area, still practises cannibalism.
One wonders what manner of men live in this God-forsaken part of Africa that ostracise her innocent and beautiful children on the unfounded illiterate superstition that they are witches and wizards? In this 21st century world where the rest of the world are going to space, building space stations and mapping the lunar surface, a state in Nigeria called Akwa Ibom State is busy rounding up her future generation, branding them witches and sometimes dismembering them to get rid of a supposed curse. It shall not be well with these cave-dwellers of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
To their Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, Icheokudotcom says, you and your people are shameless! This documentary has exposed the devilish practices in your state and for you to pretend ignorance thereto, is comparable to Alaska's Sarah Palin faking that she did not know that some turkeys were being massacred right behind her. Just wearing a good tie does not make you a civilized genteel when you left this despicable and abominable inhuman practices of your people to go on, unchallenged. But now that the veil has been lifted off this your evil, the whole world is now focused to see what your actions will be to eradicate or at least abate it. Until then, let every decent man and woman send some assistance to the God-sent British humanitarian grappling with the so many traumatised children of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria! What a bloody black eye to Nigeria, this is! This British charity worker, Gary Foxcroft, 29, fighting to help the children stigmatised as witches is the programme director for the UK charity Stepping Stones, Nigeria. Mr Foxcroft first came to Nigeria in 2003 to research the oil industry for his masters degree; but he was so shocked with these children's plight that he decided to help raise money for a refuge for them. He established a Child Rights and Rehabilitati
on Network (CRARN) to cater for these abandoned "witch" children and equally try to persuade their parents to take them back. He has also helped to build a school for the children who are refused places at local schools. If this link below does not move you, nothing else will and Icheokudotcom salutes the courage of the young British humanitarian who is providing succour to these branded and abandoned so called little "witches" of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Now click:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJSME0TORw and also
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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'Child-witches' of Nigeria seek refuge
ReplyDeleteby Telegraph
Thanks to Robin Kearns for the link.
Reposted from:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/3407882/Child-witches-of-Nigeria-seek-refuge.html
Mary is a pretty five-year-old girl with big brown eyes and a father who kicked her out onto the streets in one of the most dangerous parts of the world. Her crime: the local priest had denounced her as a witch and blamed her "evil powers" for causing her mother's death.
Ostracised, vulnerable and frightened, she wandered the streets in south-eastern Nigeria, sleeping rough, struggling to stay alive.
Mary was found by a British charity worker and today lives at a refuge in Akwa Ibom province with 150 other children who have been branded witches, blamed for all their family's woes, and abandoned. Before being pushed out of their homes many were beaten or slashed with knives, thrown onto fires, or had acid poured over them as a punishment or in an attempt to make them "confess" to being possessed. In one horrific case, a young girl called Uma had a three-inch nail driven into her skull.
Yet Mary and the others at the shelter are the lucky ones for they, at least, are alive. Many of those branded "child-witches" are murdered - hacked to death with machetes, poisoned, drowned, or buried alive in an attempt to drive Satan out of their soul.
The devil's children are "identified" by powerful religious leaders at extremist churches where Christianity and traditional beliefs have combined to produce a deep-rooted belief in, and fear of, witchcraft. The priests spread the message that child-witches bring destruction, disease and death to their families. And they say that, once possessed, children can cast spells and contaminate others.
The religious leaders offer help to the families whose children are named as witches, but at a price. The churches run exorcism, or "deliverance", evenings where the pastors attempt to drive out the evil spirits. Only they have the power to cleanse the child of evil spirits, they say. The exorcism costs the families up to a year's income.
During the "deliverance" ceremonies, the children are shaken violently, dragged around the room and have potions poured into their eyes. The children look terrified. The parents look on, praying that the child will be cleansed. If the ritual fails, they know their children will have to be sent away, or killed. Many are held in churches, often on chains, and deprived of food until they "confess" to being a witch.
The ceremonies are highly lucrative for the spiritual leaders many of whom enjoy a lifestyle of large homes, expensive cars and designer clothes.
Ten years ago there were few cases of children stigmatised by witchcraft. But since then the numbers have grown at an alarming rate and have reached an estimated 15,000 in Akwa Ibom state alone.
Some Nigerians blame the increase on one of the country's wealthiest and most influential evangelical preachers. Helen Ukpabio, a self-styled prophetess of the 150-branch Liberty Gospel Church, made a film, widely distributed, called End of the Wicked. It tells, in graphic detail, how children become possessed and shows them being inducted into covens, eating human flesh and bringing chaos and death to their families and communities.
Mrs Ukpabio, a mother of three, also wrote a popular book which tells parents how to identify a witch. For children under two years old, she says, the key signs of a servant of Satan are crying and screaming in the night, high fever and worsening health - symptoms that can be found among many children in an impoverished region with poor health care.
The preacher says that her work is true to the Bible and is a means of spreading God's word. "Witchcraft is a problem all over Nigeria and someone with a gift like me can never hurt anybody," she says. "Every Nigerian wants to watch my movies." She denies that her teachings and films could encourage child abuse.
One British charity worker is fighting to help the children stigmatised as witches. Gary Foxcroft, 29, programme director for the UK charity Stepping Stones, Nigeria, first came to the country in 2003 to research the oil industry for his masters degree. But he was so shocked when he learned about the children's plight that he decided to help raise money for the refuge - the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (Crarn) - and try to persuade the parents to take their children back. He has also helped to build a school for the children who are refused places at local schools.
"Any Christian would look at the situation that is going on here and just be absolutely outraged that they were using the teachings of Jesus Christ to exploit and abuse innocent children," says Mr Foxcroft whose expose of what he describes as "an absolute scandal" will be screened in a Channel 4 documentary on Wednesday.
The Niger Delta is an oil-rich region but the wealth does not reach the people who live there. The locals blame their hardship on the Devil but international analysts point to the oil industry's large-scale contamination of air, land and sea.
In the documentary, the charity worker visits one of the pastors, a man who calls himself "the Bishop" and who claims to be able to drive evil spirits out of "possessed" children. At his church in Ibaka, the Bishop pours a homemade substance called African mercury, a potion of pure alcohol and his own blood, into the eyes of a young boy lying on a table. "I want this poison destroyer to destroy the witch right now, in Jesus' name," he says.
The priest charges £170 - in a country where millions of people are forced to live on less than £1 a day - for "treating" a child every night for two weeks, and holds them captive until the bill is paid.
He has recently refined his techniques for dealing with child witches. "I killed up to 110 people who were identified as being a witch," he says. He claims there are 2.3million "witches and wizards" in Akwa Ibom province alone.
The children's shelter was started five years ago when Sam Itauma, a Nigerian, opened his house to four youngsters accused of witchcraft. Today, he and his five staff are caring for 150 youngsters. "Every day, five or six children are branded as witches," he says "Once a child has been stigmatised as a witch, it is very difficult for someone to accept that child back. If they go out from this community... there is a lot of attacks, assault and abuses on the children." Children often arrive at the shelter with severe wounds, but few clinics or hospitals will treat a child believed to be a witch.
"Christianity in the Niger Delta is seriously questionable, putting a traditional religion together with Christian religion - and it makes nonsense out of it," he says. "If you are not rich and don't have anything to eat, you look to blame someone. And if you don't get anything, you blame it on the witches."
Christians have been in Nigeria since the 19th century and the Niger Delta area claims to have more churches per square mile than any other place on Earth. The vast majority of the country's 60 million Christians are moderate, but an influx of Pentecostals over the past 50 years has led some churches to be dominated by extremist views. Five years ago, the Nigerian government passed a Child Rights Act, which made abuse illegal, but not every state has adopted it.
At the refuge, a baby girl called Utibe and her five-year-old sister, Utitofong, are dumped at the gate by their mother because a "prophet" told her that Utitofong was a witch and had passed the spell to her sister. The mother, who spent four months' salary on an unsuccessful exorcism, left them at the centre because she feared they would be killed. The police are called but locals offer them no help.
Mr Itauma goes to the village to try and convince the locals to accept the daughters' return, but the older girl is threatened by a man with a machete. "Get away from our food - I'll kill you," he shouts. Utibe is allowed to stay, but the older girl has to go back to the refuge.
At the end of the film, Mr Foxcroft and all the "child-witches" stage a demonstration at the Governor's residence in the state capital, Uyo, and urge him to adopt the Child Rights Act." After four hours the Governor comes out and says the Act will be adopted. It has since been adopted, but so far not a single pastor has been convicted of any offence. And the rescue centre still takes in up to 10 children a week.
Mr Foxcroft took Mary back to her village where he was told that her father left a year ago to find work in Cameroon. A cousin says: "She is a witch, we don't want her here." Mary is now back at the refuge.
- Dispatches Special: Saving Africa's Witch Children will be shown on Channel 4 on Wednesday, 12 November, at 9pm
Akwa Ibom Govt To Close Churches, Prosecute Fake Pastors Over Child's Withcraft
ReplyDeleteAkwa Ibom State government would soon close down mushroom churches and prosecute fake pastors, who are in the habit of stigmatizing children as witches and wizards.
Governor Godswill O. Akpabio announced this yesterday at the maiden Annual Teachers' Award for Excellence in Akwa Ibom State public schools sponsored by Inoyo Toro Foundation held at the Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo.
Chief Akpabio expressed shock at the reckless abandonment of children labeled witches and wizards by their parents and guardians, saying this portends a dangerous signal to any society.
He attributed this ugly trend to activities of self-styled prophets who form the habit of deceiving and extorting money from innocent people on the pretext of exorcising demons from the suspected children thrown out into streets by their parents and guardians.
The state chief executive, however, warned the people against patronising churches on serious health matters needing medical attention, noting that this could result to avoidable deaths.
Meanwhile, an investigation committee has been put in place to look into issues surrounding the stigmatization of children as witches and wizards by some people for prosecution within the ambit of the law.
The State Commissioner for Information and Social Re-orientation, Aniekan Umanah said the Child's Rights Act is undergoing legal niceties preparatory for the Governor's assent.
Umanah advised public-spirited individuals and organisations to report perpetrators of this unfortunate trend to the security agencies, and government for arrest and prosecution.
Witchcraft: Akpabio Warns Churches
ReplyDeleteFrom: Okon Bassey in Uyo, 12.02.2008
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Hard time now await churches and spiritual homes operating in Akwa Ibom State that engage in torturing people mostly children and forcefully compelling them to confess or admit to being party to witchcraft .
The State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, who made the declaration weekend at the maiden annual teachers’ award for excellence, a private initiative of Inoyo Toro Foundation, held in Uyo, said reports had it that some churches label innocent children witches and subject them to severe and inhuman conditions including torture.
THISDAY Checks revealed that the state government's stand and action on the churches may not be unconnected with current documentary being shown on a television station in the United Kingdom on how children from the state were tortured by some churches and forced to confess to being witches.
Governor Akpabio, who frowned at such actions and activities of some of the churches and pastors, vowed that the state government will address the development squarely to check the excesses of some of the churches.
He insisted that henceforth, the state government will not hesitate to destroy or demolish any church engaged in any negative and unproven vision in order to satisfy their clients.
“We will destroy and demolish every church that is engaged in any stupid vision in Akwa Ibom State. We will not stop there, we will have to make examples out of some people. We will chase out some churches in the state which are found wanting.
“The churches are busy deceiving people in many aspects including avoiding deaths. We have to do something to re-strengthen the Child Right Law. We must fight against the abuse of children and ensure proper education for them,” he said.
“The church will torture children and some of the churches will pretend to use oil to try and remove witchcraft from a child. So far we have we have 165 children some of them are not up to 9 months old who have been thrown away by their parents because the church said those children will bring them misfortune”, the Governor lamented.
Nigeria 'child witch killer' held
ReplyDeleteCampaigners are looking after 170 children accused of being witches [photo courtesy: red rebel films]
Police in south-east Nigeria have arrested a man who claimed to have killed 110 child "witches".
"Bishop" Sunday Ulup-Aya told a documentary film team he "delivered" children from demonic possession.
But after his arrest, he reportedly told the police he had only killed the "witches" inside, not the children.
Child rights campaigners say children are frequently abandoned, hideously injured and even murdered because their families believe they are witches.
Self-proclaimed "pastors" extort money from families to exorcise the children, but none has been charged until now.
Mr Ulup-Aya was arrested in Akwa Ibom State after a child rights campaigner led police to his church and negotiated a consultation fee for an exorcism.
He has now been charged with murder.
Five others have been arrested since the weekend and the state government says more arrests are planned
Embarrassed
"So many people here believe that children can be possessed by demons that there is rarely any action taken against those who claim to deliver the children in violent exorcisms," says Sam Ikpe-Itauma, of the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN). He concluded the child was a witch and had placed a curse on him, so he took him on his bicycle to the river and threw him in
Sam Ikpe-Itauma
He says he has been working for six years to bring the attention of the state government to the children being abandoned, sold to traffickers, or murdered.
But it was not until a British documentary - Dispatches: Saving Africa's Witch Children - was aired on Channel 4 last month that an arrest was made.
His organisation is looking after 170 children who have been abandoned or abused after being accused of being witches.
Akwa Ibom State spokesman Aniekan Umanah denied they had been embarrassed into acting.
"Nobody knew about him, he lives in a very remote village," he said.
The state has cared for child victims of abuse, but has not been able to track down abusers because of "lack of documentation", he said.
'Misunderstanding'
Mr Ulup-Aya reportedly told police he had not actually killed children.
He said there was a misunderstanding - he meant he had killed the witch inside the child, not the child themselves.
When police raided his house they found two children inside, but no evidence that any others had been murdered there.
"We have him on tape admitting to killing," said Mr Umanah.
"It is now up to him to prove otherwise."
In the past other "pastors" who claim to have the power to deliver children from demonic possession in violent exorcisms have been arrested, but then quietly released by the police, according to Mr Ikpe-Itauma.
"I fear for my life now," he says.
Trafficking
The fear of child witches is a relatively new phenomenon in Nigeria.
Belief in witchcraft is strong across the country but a fear of child witches has become widespread in Akwa Ibom State since 1990s.
Now children are blamed for all kinds of misfortune that befalls their families.
They are abandoned or sold to child traffickers who then indenture them as house-workers in other parts of Nigeria or into prostitution.
Others are violently exorcised to rid the child of the "demons".
Exorcism victims seen by CRARN in the past include a child who had nails driven into her head.
Earlier this week Mr Ikpe-Itauma said a six-year-old child was brought to their rescue centre after clambering out of a fast-flowing river.
"The boy's uncle was experiencing painful swelling in his legs," Mr Ikpe-Itauma told the BBC.
"He concluded the child was a witch and had placed a curse on him, so he took him on his bicycle to the river and threw him in."
Witchcraft And Child Abuse: Swell Times For Akwa Ibom Children
ReplyDeleteBy Clifford Thomas, Correspondent, Uyo
Relief came the way of children in Akwa Ibom State who have been abused by adults and those with the prospect of gross abuse when the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly passed the Child Rights Law, which makes it an offence to abuse children in any form. Reactions have since trailed the action.
Speaking with Daily Independent in Uyo, Ekere Afia, who represents Uyo State Constituency, explained that it was a very bold step by the state assembly, given established evidence that very appalling things have been happening to Akwa Ibom children, and that the House of Assembly felt that there was a compelling need for it to legislate in that direction.
According to him, the law intends to serve as a deterrent to child abusers and others who form the habit of exploiting found wanting in the treatment of children. "The law has made provisions for the sanctioning of those involved in dehumanising our children. The provisions are extant and very clear," he explained.
A press release from the Press Secretary to the Speaker stated that the revised law could impose "10 years imprisonment without an option of fine for any person, group of persons, corporate body or organisation of whatever description, who subjects a child to any form of torture, trial by ordeal or inhuman treatment in the process of purporting to cure, purge or exorcise a child of witchcraft".
Commenting further on the law, the statement added: "If the offender is a corporate body or an organisation of whatever description, its directors or promoters or trustees or persons in apparent authority will on conviction be jointly and severally be liable to the same punishment. A similar punishment awaits any parent or guardian, who accuses, alleges or threatens to accuse a child of being a witch or wizard.
"For a corporate or unincorporated body or an organisation of whatever description guilty of that offence, the directors, promoters or anybody apparently promoting its ideals are jointly and severally liable to the same punishment on conviction. In addition to that punishment, the government is now empowered to seal off premises reasonably suspected to be used for nefarious activities against children for a period of six months.
"The government is further empowered to apply to the Magistrate Court for an order of forfeiture of premises used for kidnapping, torture or molestation of children or other offences under the law. The age of a child under the law has been reduced from 18 to 16 years to tally with international standard."
There was dissatisfaction with the House of Assembly for delaying the passage of the law despite overwhelming evidence of gross abuse of children's rights in the state, especially the well celebrated cases of child trafficking, child exploitation and the internationally condemned cases of witchcraft that has allegedly led to the killings of hundreds of children in the state.
Iboro Udom is the Assembly member representing Oruk Anam State Constituency. He told Daily Independent that the delay in passing the bill was not intentional, as the Assembly had to adopt a rational strategy in devising a law comprehensive enough to tackle the problem satisfactorily.
Another member representing Abak State Constituency expressed joy that finally the law has seen the light of day and prayed that since Akwa Ibom children are in grave danger, those implementing the law must do so without fear or favour "and must ensure that all those involved in this dastardly act of dehumanising Akwa Ibom children must be decisively dealt with in accordance with the law".
Members of the society have expressed happiness that the law has been finally passed, but wondered if the implementers will be conscientious enough to spread the dragnet to catch all the culprits of child abuse in the state.
The new law incorporates recommendations by Governor Godswill Akpabio that "owing to marked increase in the maltreatment and torture of children on grounds of witchcraft", the revised law must include built-in parameters that make stigmatisation of children in the state on grounds of witchcraft an offence punishable by the law.
Another indigene of the state living in Portland, Oregon, in the United States of America, Mr. Thompson Essien, said: "The law sounds good, though many of us have not seen its details. The sad part of the whole incident is that members of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the Executive branch, and the entire Akwa Ibom people, had to wait till a white man travelled all the way from Europe to make this happen; shame on all of us.
"Passing the law seems to be the easiest part and it seems the law itself had been enacted in a hurry. But then, the matter needed to be addressed urgently before more children die. The big questions now are: how is the law going to be enforced? How much money has been allocated by Akpabio's administration towards the enforcement of the law? Or is it going to be another slam-dung-and- let's-forget- about-it kind of deal?"
Meanwhile, Governor Akpabio on Friday assented to the law, thus making it part of the laws of Akwa Ibom State.
According to the Act, which includes kidnapping of children in the state, child labour, begging, domestic or sexual labour and child prostitution, amongst others, it is mandatory for parents and guardians to ensure that their wards take advantage of the government's free and compulsory education scheme.
A special Family Court is to be established by the state government to handle matters arising from fallouts of the law. The purpose is to expedite action on the cases in the court and to protect the personality of under-aged children.
While signing the law, the governor said: "The law makes it punishable with an imprisonment of 10 years to 15 years without any option of fine for a child to be accused of witchcraft. A parent who runs foul of this law shall on first conviction be liable to a fine of not less than N5, 000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or both."
Meanwhile, the self-styled Bishop Ulup-Ayah, who claimed to have killed 110 child-witches, will be arraigned in court for offences, which include murder, amongst others very soon.
Akwa Ibom ‘Child-Witches’: The Man Behind The Abuse
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By Ozioma Ubabukoh, Abuja and Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo
January 31st, 2009
The terrible practice of brutalising children to death, or abandoning them to roam the streets like lost souls, begging bowls in hand, soliciting for alms in order to survive is probably about to end, thanks to the misfortune a self-styled bishop, Sunday Okon Williams has encountered.
LEADERSHIP WEEKEND
checks gathered that Okon sometime in November last year (2008) attracted international attention to his sleepy village of Orukum in Mbo local government area in Akwa Ibom State via Britain is Channel 4 International Television crew. In a documentary they shot, the diminutive bishop was seen shaking the Holy Bible vigorously, as though he could order the ten commandments to jump out of it. He had assembled some undernourished and hopelessly sick children, whom he claimed were child witches and that he had exorcised from them the spirit of witchcraft.
A Nigerian-based television station, Independent Television (ITV), aired the documentary on January 19 and 20, 2009, depicting gory scenes of these helpless children being brutalised and sometimes killed.
To give credence to the images of these children, Bishop Williams, with no apparent signs of remorse, stated that he had killed no fewer than 110 children in the process exorcising evil spirits from them.
His words: "I have killed up to 110 people who were identified to be children witches. Recently, I delivered seven children from witchcraft. These children eat human flesh. I get these little children free from this power for a token of N400,000. I also advise their people that the cleansing should be done every night for two weeks."
He also alleged that Akwa Ibom with a population of about 3.9 million as at the last head count, has 2.3 million witches and wizards.
Apparently disturbed by the unsubstantiated claims of the spiritual herbalist, the Akwa Ibom State government moved swiftly to counter the allegation.
On government's directives, the state commissioner for Information and Social Re-orientation, Mr. Aniekan Umana, led the State Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) to his hideout in Orukum Village in Mbo LGA, where he was promptly arrested with his accomplices and some of the badly tortured children, whom he said were brought to him for spiritual cleansing. They were all taken to Ikot Akpanbia in Uyo, the state capital, where they were detained and subsequently interrogated.
His spiritual healing home at Ibaka was also raided and several items, including his white robes, human hair tied around red and black candles, charms, herbs and many other items were recovered.
Later paraded before newsmen at the police headquarters, the bishop, who has made a fortune conducting deliverance exercises on children, denied all the allegations. He stated that his statement made to the foreign journalists that he had killed 110 child witches was misconstrued.
Said he: "I did not say I killed the children, but I told the white journalists that I exorcised witchcraft spirits from the bodies of 110 children. Okay, if they say I killed the children, where are their graves?" he queried.
Reacting to the story, Governor Godswill Akpabio expressed regret and shock over the report, noting the international outrage greeting the report, as it continues to find its way onto other news networks like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable News Network (CNN), Channels Television, and is being posted on global websites.
According to Governor Akpabio, "The first day the information appeared on the World Wide Web (WWW), it had over five million visitors. It was terrible!"
Akpabio, who is being accused in several quarters of spending state funds recklessly on image making and laundering projects on the pages of national newspapers, was indeed outraged and worried. He opined: "How could a man who claims to be a bishop in the Lord's vineyard tell such a lie to the world? His claim that more than 2.3 million people in Akwa Ibom State are witches and wizards is just a figment of his imagination. How can half of the state's population be witches or wizards?"
But Gary Foxcroft, the Briton who for almost a year now has been catering for the ostracised children branded as witches, was, however, quick to dispute the governor's claims.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP WEEKEND from Akwa Ibom State yesterday, Foxcroft questioned the governor's authority in the state, stating that "The end-of-year crusade put together by the Akpabio-led government in 2008 was one charade too."
Foxcroft said: "Everyday 5 to 6 children are branded witches; once they take leave of this community, they are not accepted back. When I came, I requested for a home where these children could be treated, looked after and groomed to be responsible people in the future, but the government told me that all they could offer was a refuge home. Come. Look at these children. Do you think a refuge home will solve their problems?"
He continued: "About five years ago, state governors in Nigeria were advised to pass into law the Child Rights Act. Why didn't the Akwa Ibom State government proceed to do that? Akpabio is only ranting, because he is now in a tight corner and maybe none of his children or relatives has been maimed for being a child witch?"
Probably pained by the series of revelations and lapses on the part of the government, the state attorney-general and commissioner for Justice, Chief Victor Iyanan, has since denied the gory scene pictured in the documentary. According to Iyanam, such scene could have been documentary captured in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where war is still raging and children there are forced to do anything, including joining the army.
As though to hold firm to the little good reputation it still has, the state government has moved in to stop spiritualists and fake pastors in the state who are in the habit of deceiving unsuspecting parents into believing that their children are witches and wizards, and has even threatened them with heavy sanctions and prosecution.
The State House of Assembly is not left out in the war to redeem the image of the state from this negative and embarrassing portrayal of being populated by witches and wizards. LEADERSHIP WEEKEND checks gathered it quickly commenced debate on the pending Child Rights bill. Speaker Ignatius Edet, during one of their sittings, urged his colleagues in the hallowed chambers of the state Assembly to look at the bill critically with a view to passing it into law to save the state. The legislature hurriedly went through the bill and passed it into law.
With statistics recorded of 15,000 children in Akwa Ibom sent out of their homes on the basis of the terrible misconception that they were witches, LEADERSHIP WEEKEND gathered that Bishop Williams is not new to being the centre of attraction and running foul of the Law. In fact, according to a source who spoke to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND on the condition of anonymity, "This incident was the second time he will come under public glare within four years."
LEADERSHIP WEEKEND
checks have it that, before his arrest by security agents last December, the bishop operated in Mbo and the surrounding villages as a soothsayer and diviner. His clientele increased in number and he was accepted by the communities.
But in May 2004, the bishop, who was popularly called Ulup Aya in the local dialect, surprised the people of Eyefa Ewang, a peaceful community in Mbo, when he was said to have killed four people with his exorcising sword for possessing the spirit of witchcraft. The remains of the victims were immediately dumped in a shallow grave by the 'venerable' bishop.
A few days later, security operatives came to the village and arrested him, while the decomposing bodies of the four victims were exhumed and handed over to their relatives for proper burial. Bishop Williams was taken away by the security agents and nothing was heard of him afterwards.
But in 2005 he reappeared in the community. This time, he assumed the title of an ordained Bishop in order to continue his business of soothsaying and exorcism, till the present saga which brought him and the state into international focus.