2 Children Accused of Witchcraft Beaten and Tortured by Relatives in Akwa Ibom

Mary Odiong and Master Ekong Asua ─ both eight years, from the Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have been tortured and sent out of their homes on the allegation of witchcraft.Odiong,  said a few weeks after her uncle died in Okopedi village of an ailment suspected to be Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, some relatives of hers said she was responsible for the AIDS and the subsequent death of the uncle. She said, “The people in my family called me and started asking me questions whether I was a witch and why I killed my uncle. I told them that I did not know anything about what they were talking about.They started beating me. They hit me with cutlasses. They cut my buttocks with knives.After the beating became too much, I lost consciousness. Later, I woke up to find myself in a bush. I have been living on the streets since last month without food and shelter.”

                     Mary Odiong and Ekong Asua
The second victim, Asua, from Oti Oro village, told us that his parents died a few weeks ago from strange ailments. He said after the death of his parents, his uncles began to accuse him of killing them through wizardry. He said, “My uncles told me that they went somewhere to find out why my parents died. They said they were told that I killed both of them through witchcraft. They tied my hands and started beating me up with native sugarcane and asked me to confess.When I insisted that I knew nothing about the death of my parents, they took me to a bush, where I met Odiong. Both of us have been living on the streets since then,” he said.
The Project Director, African Children Aid, Education and Development Foundation, Mr. Nsidibe Orok, said it was unfortunate that children were still branded as witches and wizards in a state that had put in place laws prohibiting the abuse of children. He commended the state police command for responding to the plights of the hapless children. He urged the police to investigate the matter with a view to bringing the culprits to book as a deterrent to others. He, however, attributed the incident to ignorance and poverty. He advised religious organisations to educate the people more on the need to care and love little children. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim dickson, said he had yet to be briefed. He promised to get back to our correspondent once he had information about the children.

A police extract from the Okobo Police Division, signed by CSP Abdulkhadir Eljamal, and seen by our correspondent revealed that the children were picked up and brought to the station by volunteers of African Children Aid, Education and Development Foundation.
The children are currently receiving treatment at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.

---

Posted: at 10-10-2014 10:55 AM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

akwaibom people nawaa for unaoo very tribalistic set of people

---

Posted: at 10-10-2014 11:19 AM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Hmmm....something shady about this story

Posted: at 10-10-2014 11:29 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

Where will Africa and Africans be without their fetish thoughts.  If the slave trade was still on  - both children would have been sold off.

And I bet my last naira the family are CHURCH GOING people who say they believe in the Word of God!

Thank goodness for charitable organisations in the motherland striving to support such causes. Children living on the streets for one month UNSEEN by the people of the area.

And of course the people responsible for this child abuse scandal will not be prosecuted.

Can someone brief  the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, so that he can begin investigations?

Posted: at 10-10-2014 12:30 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Nigeria is one country is this wide world that can never be  civilised cause the level of ignorance there is alarming. If your child is witchcraft you must be demon to give birth to a witch.let me tell you ignorant nigerians one thing you will never have peace until you people stop abusing children

Posted: at 10-10-2014 12:52 PM (10 years ago) | Newbie

      

Posted: at 10-10-2014 01:38 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

so witches can cause someone to catch aids

Posted: at 10-10-2014 02:41 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

the level of ignorance in Nigeria is scary...Nigeria is one of the only few places where you can just point to anybody and accuse them of being a witch,prostitute or a thief and everybody believes you without questioning whether you are a crazy person or mentally unstable. This couldn't happen in civilized countries. Somebody with common sense should have asked these ignorant relative how they know that this children are witches and they should proof it..if they cant, they should be tortured also....yeye people

Posted: at 10-10-2014 02:54 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

sooooooooooooooooooooo sad child abuse!!!

Posted: at 10-10-2014 05:26 PM (10 years ago) | Newbie

Backward uncivilised babarians.

Posted: at 10-10-2014 09:07 PM (10 years ago) | Hero