‘I see di fire as dem dey burn my mama for front of di church wia she dey worship'

About two weeks ago, reports about one woman wey mob allegedly burn to death for Old Netim community, Akamkpa Local Goment Area of Cross River State, South -South Nigeria, go viral for social media.

Reports say angry mob burn Mrs Martina Okey Itagbor, wey dey 70 years, a mother of four children to death on 18 June, 2023, sake of accusation of witchcraft (Voodoo).

Now, di daughter of late Mrs Martina Itagbor don follow BBC Pidgin tok about wetin happun and how e be for her to lose her mama like dat.

Miss Ntoi Itagbor dey cry as she tell BBC Pidgin say dem burn her mama to death for front of dia church and she bin dey inside di church wen evritin dey happun.

She see di fire wey burn her mama to death, but she no fit do anytin to help her mama, e be like feem for her eyes.

Accusation of witchcraft

Ntoi say for April, 2023, some youths bin don accuse her mama of witchcraft (Voodoo) and dem bin report di allegation to di Head of di village.

“Di Chief of di community, Ntufam Augustine Nyong Orok wash im hand comot ontop di accusation, im tell my mama to defend herself if she no be witch.

Wen BBC Pidgin meet di chief of di community for comments on dis allegation im no gree tok.

“Di case dey with police so I no go fit tok anytin about am for now.” E tok.

Miss Ntoi continue with her explanation wia she say dem bin don report di mata to Old Netim Police station, Akamkpa wen dem launch di first attack on her mother, but police bin no take any action.

She add say na for early June, 2023 some youths for di community gada and pack demsefs inside one motor wey dem hire to attend di swearing-in of one political leader for Akamkpa wen di youths get accident.

“Unfortunately, di youths wey dem suspect say dey drunk already, involve in a car crash and two of dem die on di spot and many wound.”

Miss Ntoi dey try to control her tears as she narrate say na di next day some of di youths come dia house, drag her mother (Martina) go road and accuse her say she use witchcraft cause di accident and di death of di two youths.

“Na for early mor-mor around 7:00am on 18 June 2023 na im di angry mob beat my 70-year-old mother, set her on fire and watch her burn to ashes”

Anoda eyewitness allege say, ”di act dey calculated, di mob kill her, burn her to dust and sweep her dead body wey don turn to ashes inside gutter (drainage) come wash di road.”

‘Dem no allow me go out to help my mama’

She say she bin dey church wen e happun and wen pipo alert am, church members hold her down.

“I bin dey church wen evritin dey happun, I see di fire as my mama dey burn inside, dem no allow me go outside to do anytin to help my helpless mother,” she cry out loud.

“Me and my mother bin discuss well-well before dat moment, na me first go church because I be worker but afta some minutes, I see di boys as dem dey enta out street amd pesin run come tell me say my mama dey cry for help.

I struggle to go house, crying my eyes out but dem no allow me comot, dis na memory wey I go live with for my remaining days on earth." She tok.

"My mama na evritin to us," Ntor add, "she be farmer and breadwinner since our father die years ago.

Na she dey do all di responsibilities wey husband suppose do come join am with her own as mother.

Which kain life I wan live now? And dat kain woman just die like dat in a tragic and embarrassing manner?"

Ntor say even though dem label her mama as witch, she be true Christian.

"Di women for church for do me good like say dem allow me witness my mother last breath”.

Grace Frank na member of di Catholic church wey late Mrs Martina Itagbor and her daughter Ntoi dey worship.

She also witness di devastating mob action wey happun for front of di church.

She tell BBC Pidgin say late Martina and di mother of di two youths wey die for di motor accident wey make di youths accuse Martina of witchcraft, na members of di same Catholic Women Organization (CWO).

“I still dey in shock say dem burn Martina to death for front of di village Catholic Church wen di meeting of di CWO dey go on.

Dem dey inside di church dey look while di youths burn one of dia member to death.” She tok.

Jungle justice for Nigeria

Dis no be di first time jungle Justice dey happun for Akamkpa local goment area, for Cross River State according to reports.

Tori be say few years ago afta di death of two Catholic Priests, Reverend Father Daniel Omonga and one of im colleague for car accident, some youths go wild and dem kill four chiefs for di community and burn houses and properties worth millions of Nigerian naira.

Di youths accuse di four chiefs wey dem kill say dem dey do witchcraft.

Also for October, 2022, dem also kill one Mrs Iquo Edet Iyo and four odas suspects.

Dem bury dem for forest sake of alleged witchcraft for Ndon Nwong village, Okurikang, Odukpani local goment area of di state.

Away from Cross River, for 2012, mob beat and burn to death four students of di University of Port Harcourt for Rivers state.

Di four students bin run into one local vigilante group early mor-mor for Aluu, one community behind di university.

On accuse say dem be thieves, di mob beat and burn to death di four - Llody Toku, Ugonna Obuzor, Chiadika Biringa and Tekena Elkanah.

Call for justice

Di Cross River state Police Command don launch manhunt for di alleged killers of Martina Itagbor.

Di State Commissioner of Police Gyogon Grimah direct say make dem arrest di pipo wey burn di woman to death and make dem also face di law.

Di Commissioner tok inside statement say, “di issue of jungle justice na one crime wey police no dey take lightly.”

Cross River State Govnor, Bassey Otu also direct di law enforcement agencies to make sure say di law bring di pipo wey dey involved to book.

“Our pipo must do away with parts of culture wey dey promote violence, murder and criminality like dis.

I dey direct di Commissioner of Police for di state to mobilize all tactical and investigation assets and make sure say di pipo wey di di heinous crime face justice.” E tok.