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Home News World News Africa and Indian Ocean Nigeria'Child-witches' of Nigeria seek refuge
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.

By David Harrison
Last Updated: 2:33PM GMT 09 Nov 2008

Children from Crarn accused of being witches and wizards, protesting outside the Governor's headquarters. Photo: Mags Gavan, Redrebel Films
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

god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's usually not a big deal if someone is an illitrate, they simply won't move forward! The horrow is not that many Nigerians are uneducated, the horrow is that many Nigerians are not only functional illitrates, but they are also primitive in their mind set, and set to move backwards into the mediaval age. This is 2008 and not 1808

What is more toxic than combining Western religion with primitive belief systems?

Anybody who still believes that witches can do anything more than ranting "I am a witch" is not only deluded but also very dangerous!

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.

how do i join this lucrative profession??

those who believe absurdities commit atrocities!!!

naijaking1:

It's usually not a big deal if someone is an illitrate, they simply won't move forward! The horrow is not that many Nigerians are uneducated, the horrow is that many Nigerians are not only functional illitrates, but they are also primitive in their mind set, and set to move backwards into the mediaval age. This is 2008 and not 1808

No wonder there is a high correlation between poverty and proportion of people that believe humans can control the supernatural!

No human has any control whatsoever of the supernatural! It is absolutely impossible!

The proportion of Nigerians who believe in the nonsensical claims made by charlatanic and imbecilic babalawos and dibias is one of the larger anchors solidly ensuring that the ship called Nigeria remains stagnant!

I dont think y'all appreciate the gravity of what that article is talking about.

I aint trying to attack any tribe in particular, but the folks fron Akwa Ibom and Calabar are the people worst hit by this shit.
Just like pastors in the riverine comunities of Rivers State and Bayelsa consider everybody to be water spirits, so does the witchcraft thing apply in Akwa Ibom.

I once attended a church in Akwa Ibom and saw a pastor flogging the shit out of this very pretty young girl in the name of excorsm. The girl was bound hand and feet and whilst his assitants and ushers prayed, he sprinkled oil on her and was flogging her mercilessly. I had goose bumps just watching that shit.

Helen Upkabio!! If you have never seen her mocies then you do not understand. That woman is like the Oyedepo of Akwa Ibom and Calabar pentecostal hustle. She invited for crusades, retreats, e.t.c. I am so sorry for you if that woman accuses you of being a witch, thats it for you. They worship her like God. Her word is yea and amen. Her movies are now the yardstick for knowing who is and isnt a witch.

And the funny thing is that it is only pentecostal churches that find these so called witches. There was this case where a woman had a child and the child was called a witch, simply because the child had a similar mark (birthmark or black spot) on the same spot as her previous dead child.

The situation in these state have reached a point where a declaration of emergency is needed. Infact, everybody is considerd a witch until proven otherwise. And it is so bad that if you are accused and killed for being a witch, tthe police might not do shit to the murderers.

Lets not forget that these were the same people who were killing twins cause they tought they were witches.

RichyBlacK:

No wonder there is a high correlation between poverty and proportion of people that believe humans can control the supernatural!

No human has any control whatsoever of the supernatural! It is absolutely impossible!

The proportion of Nigerians who believe in the nonsensical claims made by charlatanic and imbecilic babalawos and dibias is one of the larger anchors solidly ensuring that the ship called Nigeria remains stagnant!

Dude, these claims are not made by witch doctors or whatever you call them, they are being made by pastors of the pentecostal churches.

Okija_juju:


Dude, these claims are not made by witch doctors or whatever you call them, they are being made by pastors of the pentecostal churches.

Why are you talking as if you no nothing about your country?

Much more stupid claims have been made by the hordes of imbeciles that tout themselves as babalawos and dibias in Nigeria:
* clap your hands and disappear
* drink human blood and fly at night
* wear this ring and walk through walls 
* turn a corpse into crisp naira notes
* bite your tongue and turn to rat

Such nonsensical claims have been made by generations of pretenders to fool generations of gullible Nigerians. Today, these pastors have begun to tap into that massive reservoir of gullibility in Nigeria to deceive ignorant and idiotic parents, telling them that their children are witches.

_{The day a pastor, any pastor, will tell me that my child is a witch, he better pray that Angels Michael and Gabriel come down from Heaven to protect him from high velocity metallic projectiles!}

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHIMMoVK24s&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]

Sisi Jinx:

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHIMMoVK24s&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]

I shed tears whenever I see this video .

May God help those innocent children.

Chei!! So Richy is not a doll!! He has a heart

This children look innocent though and i very much doubt the witchcraft allegations!!

*Morenike:

Chei!! So Richy is not a doll!! He has a heart 

Morenike,

There are few things that can make me shed tears:
1. The killing of innocent people.
2. The suffering of children and babies.
3. The suffering of old people, especially old women.
4. The triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, particularly, the human struggle/zeal/effort to survive or succeed against exceptional odds.

Nothing in this world or beyond, no religion, no logic, no politics, no science, no philosophy, no ideology, nothing can justify any of 1-3 above!

Ban Pentecostalism.

RichyBlacK:

Morenike,

There are few things that can make me shed tears:
1. The killing of innocent people.
2. The suffering of children and babies.
3. The suffering of old people, especially old women.
4. The triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, particularly, the human struggle/zeal/effort to survive or succeed against exceptional odds.

Nothing in this world or beyond, no religion, no logic, no politics, no science, no philosophy, no ideology, nothing can justify any of 1-3 above!

awwww. . . .what can I say? How cute

Any of these kids could grow to be the Obama of our nation, if and if only they are given a little bit of an opportunity.

*Morenike:

awwww. . . .what can I say? How cute

Thanks!

naijaking1:

Any of these kids could grow to be the Obama of our nation, if and if only they are given a little bit of an opportunity.

Let us thank God that Obama was born in a land of opportunities. Heaven knows what would have been his fate otherwise.

RichyBlacK:

There are few things that can make me shed tears:
1. The killing of innocent people.
2. The suffering of children and babies.
3. The suffering of old people, especially old women.
4. The triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, particularly, the human struggle/zeal/effort to survive or succeed against exceptional odds.

Nothing in this world or beyond, no religion, no logic, no politics, no science, no philosophy, no ideology, nothing can justify any of 1-3 above!

The only things that can make me cry is Naval ratings beating the shit out of me, and then to add insult to injury, they strip me naked on the streets of Naija.
The rest, shit happens. except No. 3

The mark of a civilized and progressive society is how weaker members (the old and the young) are protected. Nigerians are on the verge of killing and maiming their young in the name of witchcraft/juju/religion. If you can look at the eyes of the small beautiful girl who "has confessed to being a witch" in that clip and you don't feel like crying then I would say there's something wrong with you. She is young, she does not understand what the hell is going on, and most of all, she wants to please everybody. So, she would "confess" to anything if she thinks it would please her parents and bring her form immediate reward, like food.
Many of these kids need to be evaluated by a pediatrician, while their parents need parenting counselling, especially during hard econominc times.

I have read this b4 it appeared here on Nairaland.

My soul weeps 4 these innocent children.

However, Someone somewhere, white or black, Hausa,ibo or Yoruba is still
Their to say how barbaric such actions are.
That some people who valued not Children treated them like this does not make
all nigerian culpable.
For me, My Children are my most precious gifts. I can never play with them.

Since many people falls in my category, and we are all citizen of this Nation(Naija),

Then, i think the Caption"Why Nigeria will not be Great" is not at all Right.

Your caption is partly a negative contribution to the bad situation you are trying to condemn.

PLEASE CHANGE THIS TOPIC. THIS ONE IS TOO HARSH.[/color]

[color=#000099]THIS IS LIKE A FATHER LOOKING AT HIS SON AND GIVING HIM REASONS WHY HE WILL NOT AMMOUNT TO ANYTHING IN LIFE.

Olaolufred:

I have read this before it appeared here on Nairaland.

My soul weeps 4 these innocent children.

However, Someone somewhere, white or black, Hausa,ibo or Yoruba is still
Their to say how barbaric such actions are.
That some people who valued not Children treated them like this does not make
all nigerian culpable.
For me, My Children are my most precious gifts. I can never play with them.

Since many people falls in my category, and we are all citizen of this Nation(Naija),

Then, i think the Caption"Why Nigeria will not be Great" is not at all Right.

Your caption is partly a negative contribution to the bad situation you are trying to condemn.

PLEASE CHANGE THIS TOPIC. THIS ONE IS TOO HARSH.[/color]

[color=#000099]THIS IS LIKE A FATHER LOOKING AT HIS SON AND GIVING HIM REASONS WHY HE WILL NOT AMMOUNT TO ANYTHING IN LIFE.

If you take a good sociological look at this phenomenom, you'll understand that because this horrible practice is tolerated on our soil, in our presence in broad daylight, and without anybody in private or public sector raising a strong objection makes each and every one of us guilty( to greater or lesser degrees of course). Even if your own personal kids are safe, but since you live in a society where this horibble custom is practiced, then your kids' safety is not entirely guarranteed in the future--- you may or may not always be around to protect them personally.

I apologize if this title shocks, but I honesty don't see how any society will become great when they practice infanticide through various socio-cultural/religious/juju and other primitive means.
Yea, Nigeria will never be great if we don't take good care of our children.