By: Sam Itauma, President/CEO (CRARN),
+2348026693099, info@crarn.net
(June 28, 2011)

I write this piece in response to the myriads of questions that have been asked regarding the child witches phenomenon in Nigeria especially by the media and some the researchers of this issue.

How are such children treated?
Children are not only abused in Akwa Ibom State, but in various parts of Nigeria, though, mostly in the Niger Delta Region. The abuse of children is done in various ways. The first thing that brings about the abuse is public declaration of children as witches by the pastors or prophets.

For the children that are branded witches, most of them are disgraced in public, beaten with broom sticks machetes, 'mbritem' (a local medicinal stick) bathed with hot water, branded with hot iron, locked up in the churches or dark rooms for several months, chained in prayer house, put through wild form of exorcism and given concoction to drink, abandoned and rejected, tortured to death, poisoned with local berry called 'esere' (i.e. Calabar beans) hanged or suspended on roof, butchered or stabbed to death, starved to die by piece-meal.

They are also thrown into the river, buried alive as the case may be. Some gang raped; even in the church that undergo fasting, pieced hot pokers in the anus, strangled to death, have their fingers chopped off.

It is estimated that more than ten thousand children might have been stigmatised as witches or wizards in Akwa Ibom State alone. However, Cross River State is facing the same situation with Akwa Ibom State.

What kinds of things are being done to prevent this from happening?
First of all, I will like to talk of what CRARN is doing to check the menace. Having found this problem of child witches rearing its ugly head, CRARN in 2003 initiated a robust campaign to check the menace, as CRARN was given birth to consequent upon the rise in child torture and killing due to child stigmatisation. However, to curb the menace, the following strategies have been instituted:

Advocacy and awareness creation: This involves media advocacy-like radio and TV jingle, reporting of case on print media, TV/Radio talk show, and TV / radio documentary.

Holding Rallies/Community Mobilisation: CRARN holds rallies, organises conferences, stakeholders meetings, mass rally and children protests, dialogue with the government, religious and traditional leaders, distribution of IEC/BCC materials at community, local and State levels.

Identification/Rescue and Rehabilitation: To check this menace, CRARN searches and rescues victims in various communities, engaging her volunteers and field staff and other community volunteers for the rescue of children to the emergency shelter and provision of basic needs-foods and nutrition, clothing, health-care, education and vocational skills, counselling and life skill education.

It also partners with other civil society organisations / agencies to sensitised and enlighten the public. This include, Government, Young Humanistas Network (YHN), UNICEF, NAPTIP, Nigeria Humanist Movement, etc.

Major support
Akwa Ibom State Government, Comic relief, Virgin Unite, Akwa Ibom indigenes in Diaspora, UNICEF Zenith Bank, Obala Foundation, Bristow Helicopters, Latter Day-Saints Charities, etc.

Family/community Reconciliation and support visits: reintegration, economic support for children Legal support: Prosecution of perpetrators - pastors, prophets, parents and relatives

Akwa Ibom State Government Efforts:

• Supporting CRARN to develop emergency shelter
• Enactment of the Childs Right law of which certain section prohibits stigmatisation of children as witches or wizards.
• Arrest and prosecution fake pastors and prophets and parents
• Public enlightenment campaign
• Official condemnation of child witch stigmatisation

Why are children subject to this kind of abuse?
An age-long traditional belief in witchcraft contributes essentially to the abuse of children as it is believed that children who are possessed can destroy lives and property put together. Nonetheless, it is cogently held that such children can cause infertility, miscarriage, drunkenness, TB, HIV/AIDS, stroke, hepatitis, and other deadly diseases.

It is equally believed that such children often cause poverty, accident, unemployment, economic instability and untimely death. This therefore fumed mass hatred against the stigmatised child.

How is the Belief in Child Witches Spread

• Through the spread of home made videos that portray children as witches or wizards
• Proliferation of churches and prayer houses
• Religious Music/Songs
• The spread of child witch belief in churches on a daily basis
• Home made videos laced with superstitious elements

Causes of the Belief in Child Witches

• Religious profiteering, False religious teaching,Age-long traditional belief in witcraft
• Broken family, High level of poverty, Unwanted pregnancy, Dearth of extended family structure
• Low literacy level/Ignorance and superstitious belief, Death of one or both parents/single parenthood, etc.

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