Child 'witches': accusing the defencelessMon Mar 09 10:18AM When I first arrived in Eket, one of the oil hubs in the Niger Delta, I thought this must be the holiest of all cities in Nigeria. Every few hundred metres are signposts advertising new Pentecostalist churches. How wrong I was, I recalled a few minutes later, when I reached the rescue centre I was seeking on the city outskirts. In total, there are 175 children of all ages living at the centre - the youngest 18 months, the oldest 16 years. It was afternoon when I arrived, and while some of the children were playing in the grounds, others were busy with chores -- fetching water or cooking. Young and old, what they shared in common was that they have all been branded witches, kicked out of their family homes, some tortured, some maimed, and all forced to seek shelter. The stories I heard seemed like a replay of those told of Europe's own witch-hunting period in the 16th and 17th centuries. But this time, the victims are not elderly men and women, but defenceless children, victims of self-styled religious leaders, crusading against 'witchcraft' in children. In parts of Akwa Ibom state, one of the nine southern states that make up the oil-producing region of Nigeriam, children have in recent years been beaten, tortured and abandoned as 'witches'. Some have been thrown into the raging waters of the Atlantic Ocean, according to Nigerian officials and activists, working to end to the practice. The state authorities in Akwa Ibom in November passed a new law against child abuse and launched a campaign to smoke out those carrying out the attacks on children while educating the public to beware. The self-declared prophets who are behind this practice receive payment in cash or kind for 'finding' 'child witches' and then 'exorcising' them. The stories I heard at the charity centre set up to give the children shelter are heartbreaking. One day after dinner, 11-year-old Deborah's stepmother went to her bedroom, armed with a machete and a broom, threatening to kill her if she did not confess she was a witch. Fearing for her life, Deborah confessed and was immediately taken to a pastor who 'confirmed' that she was what she said and detained her. Over several days, the girl was flogged repeatedly by the pastor before she escaped back home. Days later her half-sister sprained her hand while playing. It could only be her 'juju', or witchcraft, which caused the accident. She was taken back to the pastor where she was placed on a 'fast' to rid her of the evil. After several days, and too weak to walk, she was returned home in a wheelbarrow. Neighbours mobbed her saying 'the witch is back' with some assaulting here for allegedly causing her half-brother's death a few days before her return. She ran inside the house, and hid under the bed, but her father followed here, pushing a machete at her, before she broke out and fled. Aididiong, 8, was accused by her stepmother of being a witch after a cockroach invasion of her parents' wardrobe. The mother believed she turned into a cockroach and sent her off to live with an old and ailing grandmother who later died. For several days she took care of herself -- cooking and going to school -- thinking her granny was just oversleeping until she started seeing maggots around her body. That was when she was rescued and brought to the centre. I left the centre heartbroken, but impressed by the people I had met, who were running it, and the authorities who passed their new law against this. The shelter, though, is out of space to take in more children. They turn them away daily. Akwa Ibom children are just like any other innocent children, I thought as I left. They need love and parental care. Susan Njanji reports for AFP from Lagos.                                                                                                                                                                               

This may get me flamed, but in my experience Christianity, most religions in fact, breed intolerance, not caring and understanding.                                                                                                                                                                              

I don't care if I get flamed,every religion to me is just a bunch of hypocrites who make the rules up as they go along.Read this quick before it gets removed for offending  someone/or possibly may offend someone                                                                                                                                                                               

I hope it doesn, after all its not offensive, a valid opinion I would say :)                                                                                                                                                                              

This is not so much an issue regarding religion, but of ignorance.   However, as always, the two are connected.                                                                                                                                                                             

why do you think we will remove your comments?  An opinion is fine, as long as it's not offensive or aggressive.  Your comments aren't targeted at any individual or group, but at religion as a whole.   And for the record - I agree.  Raised as a Roman Catholic, I now detest all religion and only wish they were banned outright.  They only cause fighting and wars all over the world.   Religions are incompatible with each other i think, and for as long as you mix them up and push people of different beliefs together - you're gonna get trouble.                                                                                                                                                                             

As Pastafarians have never been in a war, nor killed anyone, I think they should be included in the 'religion' question in profiles.   I, for one, would like to meet up with fellow pirates, in order to put the world to rights.   RAmen                                                                                                                                                                             

Witch hunts are still very common even in the in the UK today. It is not a pleasant experience to be singled out and burnt at the stake in a modern style. I am speaking from experience here.                                                                                                                                                                             

I concur wholeheartedly PP! I'm regarded as eccentric at best and dangerous at worst! I treat all formal religions/sects with equal disdain and only recognise myself as Pagan for want of a more realistic or descriptive nomenclature. Gia rules Brightest blessing to all REAL bikers. Em                                                                                                                                                                               

is a PASTAfarian then XK an Italian rasta?                                                                                                                                                                              

blessed be......yes it's all about ignorance, and if the finger is pointing at someone else, it ain't pointing at you!!                                                                                                                                                                              

have to agree with P.P and Emzed,as a practising hedge witch i encounter many strange opinions of my craft,mostly from those involved with mainstream religeon whose ignorance of the subject dosen't stop them declaring me evil.However i have never had to endure what these poor 'child witches' have to suffer.     Amnesty international is aware of the situation with these innocents and is working to change the situation.If you have been touched by T.C's thread please contact amnesty who will tell you how you can make a real difference to these childrens lives.                                                                                                                                                                             

I believe religion is used as a method of controlling people and having power over the masses.   It is used as a defence for carrying out acts of unthinkable torture and murder.  At the root of most religions is meant to be love, forgiving, kindness to all mankind, but it is distorted by years of misguided evil individuals who have used it to gain power and riches.  I do not follow any religion, but believe that everyone should have the right to follow what they believe in without being singled out.   But when you torture and murder someone do not call it in the name of religion, because this is not religion.                                                                                                                                                                              

amazin how far behind these people are there still in the middle ages although as Pagans pointed out there here in this country practising there voodoo! beggar's belief what someone can make another believe an lead them to acts of cruelty an murder,but look at Hitler all ya gotta do is blame someone for your woes[his case the Jew's] be good at propaganda and you'll get someone agreeing with you an helping you to persecute them! 

Witchcraft is more of a faith and a way of life than a religion especially if you’re a Hedge witch like Cassie and me. Hedge witches practice on their own or in an informal group. Unlike a covern, which are far more organised and fare closer resemble an organised religion. In a covern it is considered very bad form to cast a spell outside of the covern without the blessings of the covern first. Most of the witches I know all try and live by the Wiccan Rede. Do what thy will. May it harm none. Once you have experienced Karma you don't tend to repeat your actions.                                                                                                                                                                             

beltane, the burning  time is soon upon us, my favourite time!so cleansing and renewing, get the spring eqiunox out of the way and we're clear for lots of bonfires!!                                                                                                                                                                              

can you have a bush witch? LC couldnt be one![i know it's pathetic but i dont care anymore after a bottle of red and reading this lot !]                                                                                                                                                                              

Beltane is my favourite sabot too. the start of spring, the days get longer which means more time for biking. Beltane also marks the start of the growing season too. In pagan terms the symboligy is that Sky Father comes down and mates with Earth mother who is in her crone phase and she is reborn fertilising the land. Ancient Pagan not missing an opportunity here celebrated the sabot by having sex. It is the only time of the year where couples could have sex out of wedlock. And what do the Catholics have at this time of year? Easter eggs. There are times I thank goddess I am a witch. A lot of the catholic festivals are held on or around the same time as the pagan ones. This was to slowly guide these heathens away from their backward beliefs and into a more controlled structured submissive religion. Christmas for example is celebrated five days after Yule. How many people have a chocolate Yule log?                                                                                                                                                                             

bible stories are rewritten hand me down's everyone seem's to borrow an use stuff an idea's from each other. an egyption pharoah was the first to notion only one god,he lost out in the end but it came back later!guess you find youre own way's to come to term's with life findin something that click's with you or bein persuaded 'shown the way'or 'seein the light' by someone else,