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The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N - Family - Nairaland

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The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 5:05pm On Feb 28, 2016
WWitchcraft/Wizard Hunting

Background:
It is due to the continuous immense poverty and apparent hopeless situation experienced regularly by family or an ordinary working people in Nigeria that many people has come to continuously accept the old superstitions believe of been "bewitched" by a witchcraft or wizard. It is believed that a witchcraft possesses "witchcraft powers" which they use to 'bewitch' their family, causing them misfortune and preventing them from progressing in life. Moreover, it is also believed that a witch or wizard were said to possesses Super human powers that can only be used to perpetrate evil and could be used to arm anybody including their family members. This makes them highly hated.

They are said to kill their own children, drink human blood and bring ruin and ill health on their friends and families. In short, witches or wizard are considered as an epitome of evil which causes the most horrible misfortune on their families and communities. They were viewed as the embodiment of everything that is evil. it was said that witches could practice their wicked art only in the dead of night. Ignorantly underling that Human soul could exist independent of material body i.e at night witches or wizard possesses the power for her soul to quit their body and assume the form of a creature e.g bird, black goat, cat, black deer e.t.c to carry out evil acts against others. However, deaths, natural disasters, and epidemics; everything were blamed on witches. In most beliefs a witch or wizard was said to confess their "crimes" before she died or went mad. Any old woman driven into the streets and losing their mind, in their madness utters nonsense to the effect of being a witch, killing her husband and children, causing accidents, and bringing ruin on their family en are/were immediately set upon and stoned to death by passers-by.

Purpose and character of witchcraft/wizard Hunting

Since, witchcraft, when used to explain away poverty, illnesses, accidents, natural disasters, etc, and every
Sociology-economic problems is reflected in the collective consciousness as acts of witchcraft, has become a horrifying "reality". Therefore, the need to sought protection from a "witch doctor" or spiritual leader (pastors and imams). Unfortunately, the so called men of God ignorantly or Conspicuously targets the weakest segments of society-women and children-as its victims hence the witchcraft/Wizard hunting by the family of those who believed their child and wife brought them ruins. It is believed that once these victims are once eliminated by being burnt alive, tortured, stone to death, or in a rare instances banished from the family or community, there situation will be reversed for good.

In current day society, these primitive superstitious beliefs were still preserved as they still serve the same functions. These beliefs, despite the advancements in science and technology, combined with the explanation of many natural phenomena, is still being consciously promoted by the ruling class and most especially religious leaders i.e the churches and mosque in Nigeria. The problem has really escalated since 1999 when Helen Ukpabio produced a horror movie, "END OF THE WICKED," "ESCAPE ROOT" and "The COVEN" And books like ''The Seat of Satan Exposed'' ''UNVEILING THE MYSTERY OF WITCHCRAFT'' written by Apostle Helen Ukpabio which she successfully used in brainwashing the ignorant people. The latter states, in part: “If a child under the age of two screams in the night, cries and is always feverish with deteriorating health he or she is a servant of Satan.” This is however a common phenomenon in the rustic Nigerian communities where malaria epidemic is nothing to write home about and given the avalanche of mosquitoes from pot holes, stench-emitting blocked gullies and garbage heaps. The movie and her exorcism "ministry" have provided a leading inspiration for many deaths of children in Nigeria and surrounding countries.


Years back, we witnessed how aged people were accused of witchcraft, causing unheard-of atrocity were abused, neglected or killed openly, (Remember Akpan Ekwong who led the killings of people in the early eighties?); no child was ever accused of being a witch. But after such films, music and pulpit theology laced with fear of witchcraft and how children have taken over the witch world, the fate of Akwa Ibom child changed for the worst. In every 2 children accused of witchcraft in Nigeria 1 is from Akwa Ibom. Outside Nigeria, in every 4 children accused of witchcraft, 1 is from Akwa Ibom State. But we continue to downplay on the magnitude of this problem and castigate those who dare to work or campaign to reverse this ugly and dangerous trend.




Once the "witch doctor" or most especially the pastors brands these helpless children or women a witch or wizard in some primitive society you will be tortured to death, instantly killed, banished from the family or community or brought to the church for what they call "deliverance" from the evil spirit of witchcraft through fasting and prayer. In a forum known as Nairaland a forumite with the moniker Plaetton was quote 'You would think that the 1 million assorted churches in Nigeria, especially the mega churches, the Adeboyes, the Oyedepos, the Mbakas, etc would be the champions against the barbarism against children.No way.......... Religion, especially Pentecostal christianity, needs the fear of imaginary witches and wizards to keep their money-spinning blackmail scams running, even if children, helpless little children, are the victims of their scams. Wicked people'. And from another quote from an interview Tihomor Kukolja had with Leornado Rochos Dos Santos, Co-Founder and director of Brazilian organization called Way to the Nation which leads an orphanage in Nigeria that provides safe for the rescued children posted on Huffpost, said 'Most of the rescue cases that involve our work start in the church environments in which deliverance ministries, prosperity gospel and dominion theology have taken a central stage. Self-styled pastors and prophets, greedy for cash, teach their parishioners that many problems they are facing, like poverty, joblessness, financial crisis, sickness or poor harvest -- are all caused by a witch-child hiding in their families. Then those pastors promise that they would cast the witch spirits out of their children. For their deliverance séances they charge poor parents the amounts which most of them are not able to pay. Then, the superstitious parents are starting to guess which of their six, seven or eight children is a witch. They end up choosing the one who has something different about him or her -- one who is the most mischievous, strong willed or the most intelligent among the children in the big family or the one who already has some serious health condition. We knew a child who had epilepsy. His parents were convinced that the boy was possessed by a witch-spirit. The children are then forced, through torture, to confess that they are witches. Those children always end up severely beaten, cast out of their homes into the dark streets and forests, mutilated and often killed. All of this is due to a blend of Christianity and native paganism that has been brought inside the church in Nigeria. Most of the killer parents claim that they are born-again and spirit-led Christians.'
These two testimonies had strengthen the fact that the Character behind the problem of witchcraft/Wizard Hunting are the ignorant christian leaders which they have further escalated by their false prophecy. .

How the victims accused of witchcraft and wizard lives/survive

In some primitive society in Nigeria beautiful, innocent children, as young as two years of age, are tortured, abandoned, cast out of their homes into dark streets and forest and killed by their own parents, family and community members. Once, they are branded witchcraft/Wizard the so called men of God. Unfortunately, thousands of children are being accused of witchcraft daily and has become the victims.The people living in those community also help strengthen the course of witchcraft hunting in their community by conniving with the family of those believed to have been "bewitched" by the accused to torture, banish or kill the children or anyone accused of practicing witchcraft. Recently, on the 15th of Feb 2016, to be precise, a two years old boy was abandoned for several days by his parents to starve to death but was rescued after being discovered naked and wandering the by Anja Ringgren loven, a Danish woman living in Nigeria/Africa,the founder of African Children's Aid Education And Development Foundation, which she created to help children which have been labelled as witches. Assuming, this child wasn't discovered by this NGO, this child would have been left alone to die.
Therefore, there is no hope of living or survival for any unnoticed child or children not discovered by the NGO in any of those community because the community wants the accused child killed or banished from the community at all cost. Which they believe will restore peace and progress to the family and the community after the accused are eliminated from their society.

How does the Government see it
Some years ago, 1995 to be precise, the nation woke to the horrifying story of two children whose fingers were burnt by the Prophetess of a church in alliance with their father to get them confess to an alleged "witchcraft powers". Which they have been using to 'bewitch' their father, causing him misfortune and preventing him from progressing, etc. However, the public outcry against this practice was so great that the Prophetess and the children's father were tried and sentenced to various prison terms. Although, prior to that time, in 1991, the Nigerian government had signed the convention on the right of the child (CRC), and with UNICEF’s support, took the important step of domesticating the CRC into a national law: a draft Child’s Rights Bill was passed by the National Assembly in July 2003. Then-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, assented to it in September 2003 and it was promulgated as the Child’s Rights Act 2003. But unfortunately, the government of some states affected have not fully implemented and seriously enforced the law. It is believed that the governor of a state were this evil is seldom practiced, ignored the campaigns against witchcraft accusation and child rights abuses because the governor turned blind eyes to witch hunting and in pretense dismissed witchcraft as a form of superstitions, and did not take any effective measures to address witchcraft related abuses. In short, The campaign against witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses in Akwa Ibom (the most affected state) has been mired in intricate politics. This disingenuous power play by Akwa Ibom state government has undermined the efforts of governmental and non governmental agencies to eradicate these horrific abuses.

But the broadcast ,in 2008, on channel 4 of the BBC of the documentary, Saving Africa’s Witch Children, shook the government out of its complacency. It shocked the state of Akwa Ibom into taking action against child witch hunting and related abuses .

The broadcast raised the political stakes on tackling child witch stigmatization in the state.

In its reaction to the broadcast, the government of Akwa Ibom hastily enacted the child rights law with sections that criminalized child witch hunting. The government arrested and started prosecuting all those shown in the documentary to be involved in child witch hunting in the state including a local bishop. Unfortunately till date, nobody had been convicted under the child rights law. Many children accused of witchcraft and then abandoned by families are still roaming the streets, sleeping in markets, churches and other public buildings across the state.

In fact many of those arrested and being investigated by the police in connection with witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses had been released.so, we conclude that the government’s lack lustre approach to the problem.





Do you have institution to take care of the children and which

Since, the CNN report in August 2010 was focused on Akwa Ibom government lustre lack of approach to the problem. And in his reaction, the governor, Later, inaugurated a commission to verify claims of witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses in the state and to make recommendations. This persuaded the state government through the ministry of Woman Affairs open and operates a state own shelters across the state. While Akwa Ibom, as the richest state in Nigeria, has the resources to cater for all the abused and abandoned children in the state, this does not reflect on the situation at the Ministries and state run shelters in the state. It is saddening that the state owned children’s home lacked facilities to accommodate the abandoned children, lack of enough trained personnel to cater for the children and as a result of this many of the kids looked sick, unkempt, malnourished and emaciated. Due to lack of proper care and management, some of the children rescued and who were kept at these state own shelters had escaped without any trace of their whereabouts.They were locked up in the apartment from morning till night because the government does not have plans to educated the childeren .


Prior to the government establishment of shelters across the the state, the local and international NGOs and activists particularly CRARN, Stepping Stones Nigeria, Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network (WHRIN): AFRUCA in collaboration with local NGO – HAPSTA the Humanist Association for Peace and Social Tolerance Advancement, African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation (DINNødhjælp) and Way To The Nation. Apart from the Way To The Nation and Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) whose, founder (Sam Itauma) and members are Christians all other right groups that are today campaigning for the end to Child stigmatization are not Christian by inclination or concept but they work tirelessly to save the lives of children who are manacled in churches and starved to death in the name of exorcism and the streets.

However, the ministry of woman affairs resently, started taking away children from some local shelter managed by a non organization. however, The government children’s home at Shelter Afrique looked at a ‘detention center’ not a care giving home. Taking children away from the shelter managed by CRARN and its partners to state run orphanages like the one at Shelter Afrique is like taking these children from grace to grass. It is not in their best interest. The government of Akwa Ibom through the Ministry of Women Affairs is making it difficult for NGOs to provide care and shelter to abused and abandoned.They refused to acknowledge the gaps and inadequacies in the way the state of Akwa Ibom had handled the matter.

Where witchcraft or wizard. hunting take place

witchcraft/ wizard hunting is not a general issue in Nigerian. although, many people still come to continuously accept the old superstitions believe of been "bewitched" by a witchcraft or wizard. however, witch hunting is peculiar religiously practice in some primitive society and most especially some part of the south south geo political zone of Nigeria. T be precise Akwa Ibom holds the highest cases of witch hunting in Nigeria and next in line is Cross River state.

Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by Tallesty1(m): 5:08pm On Feb 28, 2016
Silly parents/community.
Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 5:11pm On Feb 28, 2016
Tallesty1:
Silly parents/community.

Please, shed more light.
Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 5:15pm On Feb 28, 2016
Please, kindly indicate the number you would like to throw more light on. Thanks
Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 5:49pm On Feb 28, 2016
@ Lalasticalcal, pls help me put this on the front page. I want to submit it tomorrow morning. Thanks
Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 7:56pm On Feb 28, 2016
@seun no show for your boy? cry please, help me now.thanks sir
Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 6:17am On Feb 29, 2016
As at this time we have 62 views and only one comment. Chai! God dey oooo!
Make somebody help me now or must it get to front page before una comment. cry
Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by plaetton: 7:27am On Feb 29, 2016
forgiveness:
As at this time we have 62 views and only one comment. Chai! God dey oooo!
Make somebody help me now or must it get to front page before una comment. cry

Lol.

You have seen it for yourself.
You're all alone in this one.

How many christian people have commented ?

It is only the humane passion of foreigners that recognizes this evil.

You would think that the 1 million assorted churches in Nigeria, especially the mega churches, the Adeboyes, the Oyedepos, the Mbakas, etc would be the champions against the barbarism against children.
No way.

You see, pastors like Adeboye, Oyedepo, Mbaka, etc cannot champion the cause of children accused of witchcraft, simply because it would be BAD PR for their scam businesses.

Religion, especially Pentecostal christianity, needs the fear of imaginary witches and wizards to keep their money-spinning blackmail scams running, even if children, helpless little children, are the victims of their scams.

Wicked people.

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 10:19am On Feb 29, 2016
plaetton:


Lol.

You have seen it for yourself.
You're all alone in this one.

How many christian people have commented ?

It is only the humane passion of foreigners that recognizes this evil.

You would think that the 1 million assorted churches in Nigeria, especially the mega churches, the Adeboyes, the Oyedepos, the Mbakas, etc would be the champions against the barbarism against children.
No way.

You see, pastors like Adeboye, Oyedepo, Mbaka, etc cannot champion the cause of children accused of witchcraft, simply because it would be BAD PR for their scam businesses.

Religion, especially Pentecostal christianity, needs the fear of imaginary witches and wizards to keep their money-spinning blackmail scams running, even if children, helpless little children, are the victims of their scams.

Wicked people.


Bros, thanks for the response. Atleast, you have contributed by giving break down on why it can not be eradicated completely because some people (religious leaders) are making money from it. Once again. Thanks

1 Like

Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 7:57am On Mar 01, 2016
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Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 8:29am On Mar 01, 2016
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Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 9:41am On Mar 01, 2016
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Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 9:54am On Mar 01, 2016
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Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 12:17pm On Mar 01, 2016
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Re: The Background, Purpose and Character Of Witchcraft/Wizard Hunting in N by forgiveness: 12:34pm On Mar 01, 2016
WWitchcraft/Wizard Hunting

Background:
It is due to the continuous immense poverty and apparent hopeless situation experienced regularly by family or an ordinary working people in Nigeria that many people has come to continuously accept the old superstitions believe of been "bewitched" by a witchcraft or wizard. It is believed that a witchcraft possesses "witchcraft powers" which they use to 'bewitch' their family, causing them misfortune and preventing them from progressing in life. Moreover, it is also believed that a witch or wizard were said to possesses Super human powers that can only be used to perpetrate evil and could be used to arm anybody including their family members. This makes them highly hated.

They are said to kill their own children, drink human blood and bring ruin and ill health on their friends and families. In short, witches or wizard are considered as an epitome of evil which causes the most horrible misfortune on their families and communities. They were viewed as the embodiment of everything that is evil. it was said that witches could practice their wicked art only in the dead of night. Ignorantly underling that Human soul could exist independent of material body i.e at night witches or wizard possesses the power for her soul to quit their body and assume the form of a creature e.g bird, black goat, cat, black deer e.t.c to carry out evil acts against others. However, deaths, natural disasters, and epidemics; everything were blamed on witches. In most beliefs a witch or wizard was said to confess their "crimes" before she died or went mad. Any old woman driven into the streets and losing their mind, in their madness utters nonsense to the effect of being a witch, killing her husband and children, causing accidents, and bringing ruin on their family en are/were immediately set upon and stoned to death by passers-by.

Purpose and character of witchcraft/wizard Hunting

Since, witchcraft, when used to explain away poverty, illnesses, accidents, natural disasters, etc, and every
Sociology-economic problems is reflected in the collective consciousness as acts of witchcraft, has become a horrifying "reality". Therefore, the need to sought protection from a "witch doctor" or spiritual leader (pastors and imams). Unfortunately, the so called men of God ignorantly or Conspicuously targets the weakest segments of society-women and children-as its victims hence the witchcraft/Wizard hunting by the family of those who believed their child and wife brought them ruins. It is believed that once these victims are once eliminated by being burnt alive, tortured, stone to death, or in a rare instances banished from the family or community, there situation will be reversed for good.

In current day society, these primitive superstitious beliefs were still preserved as they still serve the same functions. These beliefs, despite the advancements in science and technology, combined with the explanation of many natural phenomena, is still being consciously promoted by the ruling class and most especially religious leaders i.e the churches and mosque in Nigeria. The problem has really escalated since 1999 when Helen Ukpabio produced a horror movie, "END OF THE WICKED," "ESCAPE ROOT" and "The COVEN" And books like ''The Seat of Satan Exposed'' ''UNVEILING THE MYSTERY OF WITCHCRAFT'' written by Apostle Helen Ukpabio which she successfully used in brainwashing the ignorant people. The latter states, in part: “If a child under the age of two screams in the night, cries and is always feverish with deteriorating health he or she is a servant of Satan.” This is however a common phenomenon in the rustic Nigerian communities where malaria epidemic is nothing to write home about and given the avalanche of mosquitoes from pot holes, stench-emitting blocked gullies and garbage heaps. The movie and her exorcism "ministry" have provided a leading inspiration for many deaths of children in Nigeria and surrounding countries.


Years back, we witnessed how aged people were accused of witchcraft, causing unheard-of atrocity were abused, neglected or killed openly, (Remember Akpan Ekwong who led the killings of people in the early eighties?); no child was ever accused of being a witch. But after such films, music and pulpit theology laced with fear of witchcraft and how children have taken over the witch world, the fate of Akwa Ibom child changed for the worst. In every 2 children accused of witchcraft in Nigeria 1 is from Akwa Ibom. Outside Nigeria, in every 4 children accused of witchcraft, 1 is from Akwa Ibom State. But we continue to downplay on the magnitude of this problem and castigate those who dare to work or campaign to reverse this ugly and dangerous trend.




Once the "witch doctor" or most especially the pastors brands these helpless children or women a witch or wizard in some primitive society you will be tortured to death, instantly killed, banished from the family or community or brought to the church for what they call "deliverance" from the evil spirit of witchcraft through fasting and prayer. In a forum known as Nairaland a forumite with the moniker Plaetton was quote 'You would think that the 1 million assorted churches in Nigeria, especially the mega churches, the Adeboyes, the Oyedepos, the Mbakas, etc would be the champions against the barbarism against children.No way.......... Religion, especially Pentecostal christianity, needs the fear of imaginary witches and wizards to keep their money-spinning blackmail scams running, even if children, helpless little children, are the victims of their scams. Wicked people'. And from another quote from an interview Tihomor Kukolja had with Leornado Rochos Dos Santos, Co-Founder and director of Brazilian organization called Way to the Nation which leads an orphanage in Nigeria that provides safe for the rescued children posted on Huffpost, said 'Most of the rescue cases that involve our work start in the church environments in which deliverance ministries, prosperity gospel and dominion theology have taken a central stage. Self-styled pastors and prophets, greedy for cash, teach their parishioners that many problems they are facing, like poverty, joblessness, financial crisis, sickness or poor harvest -- are all caused by a witch-child hiding in their families. Then those pastors promise that they would cast the witch spirits out of their children. For their deliverance séances they charge poor parents the amounts which most of them are not able to pay. Then, the superstitious parents are starting to guess which of their six, seven or eight children is a witch. They end up choosing the one who has something different about him or her -- one who is the most mischievous, strong willed or the most intelligent among the children in the big family or the one who already has some serious health condition. We knew a child who had epilepsy. His parents were convinced that the boy was possessed by a witch-spirit. The children are then forced, through torture, to confess that they are witches. Those children always end up severely beaten, cast out of their homes into the dark streets and forests, mutilated and often killed. All of this is due to a blend of Christianity and native paganism that has been brought inside the church in Nigeria. Most of the killer parents claim that they are born-again and spirit-led Christians.'
These two testimonies had strengthen the fact that the Character behind the problem of witchcraft/Wizard Hunting are the ignorant christian leaders which they have further escalated by their false prophecy. .

How the victims accused of witchcraft and wizard lives/survive

In some primitive society in Nigeria beautiful, innocent children, as young as two years of age, are tortured, abandoned, cast out of their homes into dark streets and forest and killed by their own parents, family and community members. Once, they are branded witchcraft/Wizard the so called men of God. Unfortunately, thousands of children are being accused of witchcraft daily and has become the victims.The people living in those community also help strengthen the course of witchcraft hunting in their community by conniving with the family of those believed to have been "bewitched" by the accused to torture, banish or kill the children or anyone accused of practicing witchcraft. Recently, on the 15th of Feb 2016, to be precise, a two years old boy was abandoned for several days by his parents to starve to death but was rescued after being discovered naked and wandering the by Anja Ringgren loven, a Danish woman living in Nigeria/Africa,the founder of African Children's Aid Education And Development Foundation, which she created to help children which have been labelled as witches. Assuming, this child wasn't discovered by this NGO, this child would have been left alone to die.
Therefore, there is no hope of living or survival for any unnoticed child or children not discovered by the NGO in any of those community because the community wants the accused child killed or banished from the community at all cost. Which they believe will restore peace and progress to the family and the community after the accused are eliminated from their society.

How does the Government see it
Some years ago, 1995 to be precise, the nation woke to the horrifying story of two children whose fingers were burnt by the Prophetess of a church in alliance with their father to get them confess to an alleged "witchcraft powers". Which they have been using to 'bewitch' their father, causing him misfortune and preventing him from progressing, etc. However, the public outcry against this practice was so great that the Prophetess and the children's father were tried and sentenced to various prison terms. Although, prior to that time, in 1991, the Nigerian government had signed the convention on the right of the child (CRC), and with UNICEF’s support, took the important step of domesticating the CRC into a national law: a draft Child’s Rights Bill was passed by the National Assembly in July 2003. Then-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, assented to it in September 2003 and it was promulgated as the Child’s Rights Act 2003. But unfortunately, the government of some states affected have not fully implemented and seriously enforced the law. It is believed that the governor of a state were this evil is seldom practiced, ignored the campaigns against witchcraft accusation and child rights abuses because the governor turned blind eyes to witch hunting and in pretense dismissed witchcraft as a form of superstitions, and did not take any effective measures to address witchcraft related abuses. In short, The campaign against witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses in Akwa Ibom (the most affected state) has been mired in intricate politics. This disingenuous power play by Akwa Ibom state government has undermined the efforts of governmental and non governmental agencies to eradicate these horrific abuses.

But the broadcast ,in 2008, on channel 4 of the BBC of the documentary, Saving Africa’s Witch Children, shook the government out of its complacency. It shocked the state of Akwa Ibom into taking action against child witch hunting and related abuses .

The broadcast raised the political stakes on tackling child witch stigmatization in the state.

In its reaction to the broadcast, the government of Akwa Ibom hastily enacted the child rights law with sections that criminalized child witch hunting. The government arrested and started prosecuting all those shown in the documentary to be involved in child witch hunting in the state including a local bishop. Unfortunately till date, nobody had been convicted under the child rights law. Many children accused of witchcraft and then abandoned by families are still roaming the streets, sleeping in markets, churches and other public buildings across the state.

In fact many of those arrested and being investigated by the police in connection with witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses had been released.so, we conclude that the government’s lack lustre approach to the problem.





Do you have institution to take care of the children and which

Since, the CNN report in August 2010 was focused on Akwa Ibom government lustre lack of approach to the problem. And in his reaction, the governor, Later, inaugurated a commission to verify claims of witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses in the state and to make recommendations. This persuaded the state government through the ministry of Woman Affairs open and operates a state own shelters across the state. While Akwa Ibom, as the richest state in Nigeria, has the resources to cater for all the abused and abandoned children in the state, this does not reflect on the situation at the Ministries and state run shelters in the state. It is saddening that the state owned children’s home lacked facilities to accommodate the abandoned children, lack of enough trained personnel to cater for the children and as a result of this many of the kids looked sick, unkempt, malnourished and emaciated. Due to lack of proper care and management, some of the children rescued and who were kept at these state own shelters had escaped without any trace of their whereabouts.They were locked up in the apartment from morning till night because the government does not have plans to educated the childeren .


Prior to the government establishment of shelters across the the state, the local and international NGOs and activists particularly CRARN, Stepping Stones Nigeria, Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network (WHRIN): AFRUCA in collaboration with local NGO – HAPSTA the Humanist Association for Peace and Social Tolerance Advancement, African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation (DINNødhjælp) and Way To The Nation. Apart from the Way To The Nation and Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) whose, founder (Sam Itauma) and members are Christians all other right groups that are today campaigning for the end to Child stigmatization are not Christian by inclination or concept but they work tirelessly to save the lives of children who are manacled in churches and starved to death in the name of exorcism and the streets.

However, the ministry of woman affairs resently, started taking away children from some local shelter managed by a non organization. however, The government children’s home at Shelter Afrique looked at a ‘detention center’ not a care giving home. Taking children away from the shelter managed by CRARN and its partners to state run orphanages like the one at Shelter Afrique is like taking these children from grace to grass. It is not in their best interest. The government of Akwa Ibom through the Ministry of Women Affairs is making it difficult for NGOs to provide care and shelter to abused and abandoned.They refused to acknowledge the gaps and inadequacies in the way the state of Akwa Ibom had handled the matter.

Where witchcraft or wizard. hunting take place

witchcraft/ wizard hunting is not a general issue in Nigerian. although, many people still come to continuously accept the old superstitions believe of been "bewitched" by a witchcraft or wizard. however, witch hunting is peculiar religiously practice in some primitive society and most especially some part of the south south geo political zone of Nigeria. T be precise Akwa Ibom holds the highest cases of witch hunting in Nigeria and next in line is Cross River state.

My view

Every nigeria is guilty of believing in witches and wizard because this become the regular teachins in the churche. and long a this so called men of God mix for

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