Innocent children wey dem beat and troway ontop allegation say dem be winch

For Akwa-Ibom State, south-south Nigeria, hundreds of children dey accused of witchcraft.

Dis dey happun most especially for Oron local goment area of di state wia di practice dey common.

Although di state goment bin introduce one law for 2012 wey make am illegal to call any pikin winch, e dey shocking to find out say some pipo still dey do am.

Dem go beat and torture any child dem believe say be winch, naked and abandon am to die.

One survivor, Udeme wey im step-mother bin accuse say e bin winch bin follow BBC tok on how e happun.

E say im step-mother pikin die, and dat na why dem label am as witch.

“My papa throw me out wen I be small pikin, I bin dey primary 2 wen e pursue me comot house, e say if e see me anywia near am, im go kill me. I gatz dey live for street.”

Madam Mary Okon Okpoyo dey save children accused of witchcraft

However, luck find Udeme wey be 19-year-old now and undergraduate for one higher institution for Nigeria through one 81-year-old woman Madam Mary Okon Okpoyo.

22 children wey get similar stories like Udeme dey live wit Madam Okpoyo. Dem abandon dis children for streets on top accuse say dem bin winch, she go see dis children, bring dem come her house and begin care for dem.

On why she take responsibility for dis children. Di 81-year-old say she bin no get idea say she go eva do somtin like dat. She explain how e take start.

“One day I bin see one boy for roadside alone, e dey skinny and stand near dustbin. I ask why di boy dey like dis, dem tell me say e be winch, say e kill im mama, I say how dis small boy go be winch. Pipo wey kon see me wit di boy, tell me say dem dey drop small children accused of witchcraft for market, so I go go di market go pick dem.”

Di children wey dey under Madam Okpoyo care na mostly girls and she say she focus on dem becos na dem dey open to dis kain violence most, defilement and molestation.

She say immediately dem come, she dey register dem for school.

Madam Okpoyo also fault some religious leaders as na dem dey dey carry out deliverance on children wey dey accused of witchcraft.

Evil spirit fit possess children - Evangelical pastor

One popular evangelical priest for Oron community, Pastor Joseph Okon Ekpong Enang bin admit say evil spirit fit possess children. “We get pipo around wey be winch, some even dey bold to say dem bin winch, we don see am for dis community.”

However, di manner wey some parents take dey handle di mata if dem no get Christ dey wrong.

E say some dey beat and molest di pikin wey no dey right.

Priests dey do wetin dem dey call deliverance on pikin wey dem accuse to comot di evil spirits from di pikin.

Lecturer for di Department of Religious and Cultural Studies for di University of Uyo, Dr Mbosowo Udok wey don do plenty research and study on witchcraft accusation plus how e become intergenerational antagonism confam say witchcraft dey for Africa.

"Africans believe in God or supreme beings as elements of African traditional religion. Belief in spirit, divinity and believe in witchcraft dey."

How Akwa-Ibom state goment dey respond to di witchcraft accusation

Although di state goment bin introduce one law wey make am illegal to accuse children of witchcraft and sorcery for 2012.

Dem say di law make provision for rehabilitating di children. Dem tell BBC say dem go further enforce di law and make sure say any case dem get go publicly face di wrath of di law.