Two children, Mary Odiong and Master Ekong Asua both 8 years, from Akwa Ibom State were tortured and sent out of their home over allegation of witchcraft. Punch reports:
One of the children, Odion who spoke to Punch on Thursday, said her ordeal began when her uncle died of an ailment suspected to be Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, some relative accused her of being responsible for the AIDS and the subsequent death of the uncle.
Read below what she told punch:
“The people in my family called me and started asking me questions whether I was a witch and why I killed my uncle. I told them that I did not know anything about what they were talking about. They started beating me. They hit me with cutlasses. They cut my buttocks with knives.
“After the beating became too much, I lost consciousness. Later, I woke up to find myself in a bush. I have been living on the streets since last month without food and shelter.”
Asua, the second victim also gave account of his ordeal. He said he was accused of being a witch after the death of his parents.
Read below what he said:
“My uncles told me that they went somewhere to find out why my parents died. They said they were told that I killed both of them through witchcraft. They tied my hands and started beating me up with native sugarcane and asked me to confess. “When I insisted that I knew nothing about the death of my parents, they took me to a bush, where I met Odiong. Both of us have been living on the street since then.”
The children were picked up and handed over to police station by volunteers of African Children Aid, Education and Development Foundation. They are currently receiving treatment at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.
“The people in my family called me and started asking me questions whether I was a witch and why I killed my uncle. I told them that I did not know anything about what they were talking about. They started beating me. They hit me with cutlasses. They cut my buttocks with knives.
“After the beating became too much, I lost consciousness. Later, I woke up to find myself in a bush. I have been living on the streets since last month without food and shelter.”
Asua, the second victim also gave account of his ordeal. He said he was accused of being a witch after the death of his parents.
Read below what he said:
“My uncles told me that they went somewhere to find out why my parents died. They said they were told that I killed both of them through witchcraft. They tied my hands and started beating me up with native sugarcane and asked me to confess. “When I insisted that I knew nothing about the death of my parents, they took me to a bush, where I met Odiong. Both of us have been living on the street since then.”
The children were picked up and handed over to police station by volunteers of African Children Aid, Education and Development Foundation. They are currently receiving treatment at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.
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