"Witch" Children Injured In Brutal Police Attack On Refuge

Dear Friends,

On the afternoon of Friday 3rd July, a group of men appeared at the CRARN children's centre in Eket, Akwa Ibom State claiming to be donors wantingto donate goods to the children.

Suspicious of these men, the CRARN President, Sam Itauma hid away in his home. The group of men, who by now were claiming to be police officers from Lagos, then moved to Sam's house and demanded that Sam give himself up. Fearing for his life, Sam escaped through the ceiling and ran off into the bush where he has been in hiding for the previous two days.

The police officers then broke into Sam's house and seized his computer,camera, personal items and a number of documents from his office. They then subsequently beat and wounded a number of the CRARN children who were protesting against Sam's "arrest". Two children were beaten unconcious and are now undergoing emergency medical treatment in hospital. In addition to these gross violations of human rights, the police also unlawfully arrested Sam's wife, Elizabeth and another CRARN staff member, Eseme and took them to Eket Police station where they were held, without charge, for over 24 hours before being freed on bail.

It has since become apparent that the police were accompanied by a lawyer from Lagos, Mr Victor Ukott. This is the same lawyer who has been representing Evangelist Helen Ukpabio in the law suits that she has filed against CRARN, Stepping Stones Nigeria, Channel Four, Mags Gavan and Sophie Okonedo since the broadcast of the internationally acclaimed documentary film - Saving Africa's Witch Children. The lawyer and police are claiming that Sam and other CRARN staff must travel with them to Lagos to face charges of fraud, which have been levelled against them(presumably by Helen Ukpabio). These trumped-up charges apparently relate to a petition filed in Lagos claiming that Sam and CRARN have been defrauding international donors of millions of dollars: claims that are clearly false.

It would seem that the vicious beatings of innocent children and unlawful arrests of CRARN staff are part of a wider campaign of intimidation that is being carried out against CRARN and their supporters. This is obviously of great concern to all of us here at Stepping Stones Nigeria and we are particularly worried about the threat to the lives of Sam Itauma and all CRARN staff and children. As such we are contacting you to request foryour help with this case. We need to make the world aware of what is happening in Nigeria and place pressure on the Akwa Ibom State Government, police force and legislature to do everything in their power to protect the lives of these innocent children and the brave people who are prepared to stand up and fight for the rights of some of the world's mostvulnerable children.

Tomorrow outside the Eket Police station, the CRARN children will be demonstrating against these gross violations of their rights and those of their carers. We therefore request for full media attention to be placed on this issue and the subsequent demonstration. A formal press release outlining a clear set of demands from civil society organisations willthen be issued after this event along with details of how supporters maybe able to further help the situation.

Stepping Stones Nigeria condemns in the strongest terms possible this illegal and immoral campaign of terror that has been initiated against themost vulnerable group of all, children and their carers. We therefore call for you to continue your support for our work to protect these children and do everything in your power to make the world aware of what is currently happening in Akwa Ibom State. We have absolutely no doubt that the truth will prevail and that, with your continued support, we can overcome the forces of darkness that have unleashed this campaign of intimidation and terror,

Both Sam and I will be available for press interviews throughout the day.You can contact Sam on his usual number. I may be contacted on 00 234 7923092 811 or on the office number below.With sincere thanks for your continued support for our work and the fight against child abandonment, torture and killing due to witchcraft belief.

Gary Foxcroft

-- Programme Director
Stepping Stones Nigeria,
24 St Leonard's House,
St Leonard's Gate,
Lancaster,
Lancs,
LA1 1NN,
UK.

Tel Office: 0845 3138391
www.steppingstonesnigeria.org

The Enduring Aftermath Of Witchcraft Allegations

RAJAB 10 1430 A.H.
THURSDAY JULY, 2 2009
A 'child witch' in London
By OLUSEGUN FAKOYA

PERHAPS the valiant efforts of Sam Itauma of Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) coupled with the honourable actions of Gary Foxcroft of Stepping Stones Nigeria brought home the stark reality of the wicked phenomenon called child witches in Nigeria. However, to most of us, the phenomenon of children being accused of witchcraft remains something read on the internet or various news media. We found it easy to empathise being human beings that could see through the ignorance and superstition which remains the bedrock of this arcane practice. Transforming the written words into stark reality would probably be too much of a shock to most of us. This was the feeling I had when by the hand of fate, a mutual contact introduced a “child witch” to me in London. The hen has finally come home to roost!

The documentary by Gary Foxcroft titled: Saving African Child Witches, was like a jolt that brought home the hidden truth that Africa still exists in the pre-Medieval age. Our attempts at civilisation remains a smokescreen hiding the uncomfortable fact that our society still operates on codes and creeds better suited to the pre-Neolithic era. This documentary naturally evoked worldwide condemnation and righteous indignation. It led to the article I wrote titled: Persecuting the African Child. Little did I know that fate had a role in the whole scenario. A child witch in London? This is definitely not the stuff of fantasy. It is real and this “witch” is in flesh and blood, alive but definitely not hale and hearty.

Before I proceed any further, may I state that as much as every effort has been made to create anonymity around the identity of the victim involved in the tale you are about to read, I still took the pains to obtain his full consent before writing this article. May I also stress that you are about to read a true account of what happened to a fellow Nigerian. The aim is not to pre-empt your opinion, please allow your conscience to be the judge here. Something is however certain; the concept of child witchcraft is a phenomenon that must not be allowed to continue to flourish in our continent. Every one of us must ensure that a pragmatic change is effected, not just in words but also in deeds. A society that neglects its young ones has mortgaged its future.

I met Adam on a day the British weather decided to be temperate. He was casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Did he look like a witch? In the first instance, I do not know what a witch looks like. He did not present with horns sticking out of his head. Suffice it to say that Adam came across as an emaciated youth whose demeanour reeked of nothing but sorrow, despair, illness and sadness. I was left dumbfounded by
Adam’s tale. And many hours after he had left, I was still numbed by the inhumanity of man to man...

Witchcraft Accusations In A Polygynous Household

Friday, July 03, 2009
Diary of a 30-Something

Reader

MONDAY How sad…. After having such a wonderful, but confusing week, I arrive back to find my Small House friend in hospital.

She was admitted on Saturday night with stomach pains. It's just not fair, they had to remove one of the babies; they said the baby was dead. They then had to close up something in her womb, so that the other baby does not make its way out prematurely. The doctor says she is not out of danger yet, so they are going to keep her in ICU for a while longer. When I saw her this evening, she was still not talking or moving. They have her attached to all these tubes and stuff; it's horrible.
TUESDAY
We didn't sleep; it's so stressful not being allowed to stay with my Small House friend at the hospital. The doctor only allowed her close relatives and right now that happens to be her so-called husband. I had to hold myself back from kicking him and blaming him for the state she is in. It's so not fair that she has to be in ICU fighting for her life and the remaining twin, when he just pops in and out because he can't stay long, because he has to run the business and obviously go back to the first wife. I suspect he does not want his wife to know because she would undoubtedly make her way to the hospital and who knows what. The girls say that she used JUJU on my Small House friend and that's why she lost one of the babies. This is late at night, that's the last thing I want to hear, I just want my friend to live.
WEDNESDAY
She opened her eyes this morning, thank God. She was confused and kept asking why she was there. The nurses kept giving her some drugs to keep her calm. They said it was not wise to let her know that she has lost one of the kids yet. Her parents came this morning. Her mother was extremely upset and kept saying that she has always suspected that the man's first wife will try and kill her daughter - oops. She went on and on until her husband had some strong words with her. My friends didn't help thesituation either because they agreed with her. So my question is - even if someone did use JUJU on her, now what. Where then do we draw the line between witchcraft and natural circumstances? If everything negative that happens to us is attributed to witchcraft, then when do we as individuals ever take the blame for anything? I'm not saying she did anything to lose the baby, but I think before we start a witch hunt, we need to find out from the doctor what he thinks was the cause...

UNICEF's Hopes For Children Accused Of Witchcraft

UNICEF and partners bring hope to children accused of ‘witchcraft’ in Nigeria
By Geoffrey Njoku
ESI-EKET, Nigeria, 2 July 2009

– Paul, a young man whose father heads a school, has been living at the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) centre in Esi-Eket for about two years now. His father visits him at the centre occasionally but is not willing to take him home due to the stigma associated with ‘child witches’.

Paul was accused of witchcraft by his stepmother. She took him to a church where the pastor pronounced him to be a witch; then she drove him out of the house. “I felt so bad when my stepmother called me a witch,” said Paul. “I could not play or talk with people.”

The ‘child witch’ phenomenon is based on the notion that children exercise supernatural powers to negatively control people and events. It involves sorcery and magic, and is rooted in traditional beliefs. Accused children suffer the worst forms of deprivation of their rights – including rejection and abandonment by their parents, physical and psychological abuse and, in extreme cases, even death...

Jinn Children Kidnapped By Sorcerers

Thu, Jul 02, 2009 Rajab 09, 1430
Year Six, Day 133
Sorcerers say children born as jinn can find hidden treasure
Moroccan sorcerers hunt "possessed" children
RABAT (Hassan al-Ashraf)

A split tongue and a lazy eye may sound like some sort of ailment but for sorcerers in Morocco such attributes are a sign someone possesses supernatural skills that allow them to contact the spirit world and find buried treasures.

So strong is their belief in the signs of possession, that sorcerers have resorted to kidnapping children with features such as a cross on their right hand, tongues split in the middle or a lazy right eye.

According to Moroccan human rights activists gangs of sorcerers are targeting children with the specific features because they believe such children are "zohri," or born as jinn, but were replaced with human beings upon their birth...

The Magic Of Italy

Italians love sorcery
June 30, 2009 Edition 2

ROME: Almost 18 percent of the Italian population - 11 million people - trust self-styled sorcerers and healers, a consumer watchdog said yesterday.

Telefono Antiplagio found more than 16 000 cases of people being scammed by sorcerers and healers since 1994. There are 155 000 sorcerers and healers in Italy. Every day, 33 000 people saw sorcerers or astrologers in Italy, the study found...

Witches Gather At Funeral

Over 5,000 witches disempowered as Herbalist says ‘Misbehaving corpse was underworld Queen’
Downloaded 30 June 2009

The herbalist at the centre of the much talked about funeral last week which drew loud crowds when rumour filtered that the corpse was behaving in a rather unusual manner Lamin Kalokor, has told Awoko that the deceased was infact the Queen of the underworld and that the crowd included many witches who had come from as far as Wellington and Lumley to witness the dethronement of their queen.

Chronicling the events, Lamin said that the whole saga started when the wife of one of the affected family members went to popular evangelist Mammy Dora Dumbuya’s church, and she was told that “Mammy Paris” was a witch. When this word came out, it reportedly angered Mammy Paris and the family and so one Rebecca Thomas offered to contact certified herbalist Lamin Kalokoh to come and identify the witch.

Speaking in krio Lamin said “Four days later, I went to Mama Paris residence at Campbell Street. The old woman removed her head tie and showed me her head, her hair was coming out in patches. She also complained that are feet aches and more so her knees which seemed to be swelling. Mama Paris also complained that she was not quite satisfied with the dreams she had been having of late.”...