OUR STORIES – EPISODE 10

Welcome again to ‘Our Stories’. My name is Abasifreke Moses Akpan.

Today you will listen to the testimony of another child.

Testimony

My name is Miracle Innocent Udoh. I am 10 years old.

When I was in our house, I was washing plates. My auntie called me and

asked whether I took any of her panties and go to witchcraft world and I said

no, I don’t even know what the meaning of witchcraft world is. She started

beating me. She said that if I do not tell true she is going to kill me. She

locked me inside the door and beat me. She said she was not going to give

me food until my father came back. So after my father came back, she went

and told him. So my father asked her, how does she know that I am a witch?

She said that she knows. My father said that she should take and go to

church and they should go know whether I am a witch.

We were going to church and the pastor prophesied and came and held my

hand. And that pastor asked my auntie whether any of her thing lost and she

said yes. Before that pastor said that I am the cause, that I am the one that

took her panties and go and give in witchcraft world; that I am a witch. That

my auntie should go and tell my father to pursue me out of the house, so that

I will not destroy the things in the house—that if they don’t pursue me, I will

hold my father handwork that I will not allow my father to work hard again.

My auntie took me home and told my father and my father said he does not

believe that I am a witch and that they should take me and put me in the

house, if another thing lost before they know that I am a witch. As I was

washing plates my father called me and said that I should come and look at

my mother. I did not know who my mother was by that time. I went to see

my mother. My mother said I should come and stay with her for one week. I

go and stay with my mother. One day my mother said she is going to Aba,

that she wants to go and buy provision to come and sell. So I now come to

our house and they told me that my father said that I should not go to my

mother house again that my mother is a witch. I said that I don’t believe that

my mother is a witch. My auntie started to beat me and said that I should

talk the truth that my mother has put witch for me. I said that my mother is

not a witch. They leave me and say that I will not eat food in that house if I

refuse to talk the truth and I refuse to say that I am a witch.

Another day, I was washing plates and my auntie came and said I should go

and wear clothes, that she is going to take me to church to go to deliver me. I

said that I am not a witch. She slapped me and said that I should not make

any noise that she’s going to take me to church. The pastor said that they are

going to keep me for 4 days dry fasting. Then that pastor told my auntie to

take me and go. The next day my auntie took me to church and they chained

me and kept me like that for 4 days. After another 5 days, that pastor said

that they will deliver me. They should go and bring oil they use to do from

palm kernel, towel, olive oil and white basin. They bring that oil and she

take that oil and put in that basin and she told me to drink all. I said that I

cannot drink all and they start beating me. They take a very big wire and

they take knife and keep and say if I do not drink they are going to kill me. I

drink that thing and finish and they said that I will vomit. I did not vomit.

As I was sleeping in the night ,that pastor come and beat me and say that I

am going to witchcraft world, that if I go to witchcraft world I will go and

vomit that thing there; that I does not want to vomit in this side .They start to

beat me and say that am not going to sleep that night. He chained my hand

and leg and also said that am going to sit down until morning near. He come

and tell my father that he catch me going out and he saw somebody standing

there and calling me and saying I should come let’s go to witchcraft world.

He came and caught me on the road and beat me. Before I told my father

that it’s not true. My father said that how much is she going to collect? She

said she’s going to collect 20,000 Naira. My father asked whether she

removed all the witchcraft, she said yes before my father paid her and he

took me back.

The next day my father go to work, my auntie come and beat me and say

that I am still a witch, that I did not return her pant. She take knife pursue me

and start beating me and carry me and throw. I go and stay in the road. In the

night, I saw how one man came. He walked with two boys with car, because

I was with so many people there. Those people are walking in the street also.

So they pursue us. That man caught us and brought us to CRARN centre

which is the President of CRARN.

Narrator: Today’s discussion is about Child Rights and Rehabilitation

Network Centre Ikot Afaha, Akwa Ibom State

Insert Discussion

Insert music (Lyrics)

I have never broken anybody’s heart

Tell me why somebody breaks my own

Chorus

The things I do are taken away from me

My heart is low, this is why I say

Let God fight for me, I am very weak

Let him come and take my pains and miseries

My enemies are strong

But my God will lift me up

I am very weak

So let God fight for me

I have never stolen anybody’s joy

Tell me someone steals my own

Chorus

Testimony

My name is Mary Solomon Peter. I am 11 years old.

When I was in my mother’s house, one day, my mother took me to my father

and I live with my father. My mother said that she does not need us again.

She ran away from us. We did not see her since she ran. We stay with our

father. My father married another wife. My stepmother took me to the

church. The prophetess said that I am a witch. They asked me whether I am

a witch. I said I am not a witch; that I do not know what a witch is. The

prophetess said my stepmother should not give me any food.

In the morning my stepmother cooked rice for me and put tea for me and I

eat. The prophetess asked me whether I eat and I said yes, that my

stepmother gave me food. She beat me and went to ask my stepmother and

that one said yes. They put drugs with olive oil and give me. I drink and

finish and went to toilet. They said they should come and look so that I will

not vomit. They use stick with nail and beat me. After, my stepmother came

and told my father that they said in the church that I am a witch. My father

asked me whether I am a witch and I said no I am not a witch. My father put

me in one bedroom and use stick and wire to beat me. He beat me and said

whether I am a witch. I said yes that I am a witch. He said how many people

did I take to witchcraft world? I said I did not take anybody. He locked the

door and put me in the last bedroom in our house. He used that stick to press

my neck and said whether I will die. I said yes that I will die. I closed my

eyes and sleep as if I have died before he left me and go out.

I walk that backyard and go out and enter the bush. The time that my

stepmother cooked and went to go keep for him, she packed something and

went and kept in the house and I came and passed. I see him sitting outside. I

pass and enter our kitchen. He used torch to pursue me. I enter one big bush

and go and hide in one big tree. I hide in that place and he come and pass.

He didn’t see me. He passed and looked for me all over that bush and he

didn’t see me. In the morning, I walk that bush and go and see tarred road. I

walk in tarred road. I go to town and come back. Nobody said anything,

nobody gave me food. As I see market, I enter that market and sit.

I always beg for food and nobody gave me food. I walk, I walk, I walk. One

day, I went to burial place. One person living in CRARN Centre saw me. I

know that person. That person comes from our village. The time they didn’t

say I am a witch, that person, they name her witch. I saw her and I called

her. She said that whether I will come and live with her where she is living. I

said yes that I will live with her that my father pursue me and said that I am

a witch that he didn’t need me again. I walk with her and come and reach

one place that they said is the Centre and enter that place. I saw many people

living there and I ask them what they are doing there. They said that they are

living there that they don’t have any father. I said that my father also

pursued me and said that they didn’t need me again. That’s why I come to

CRARN Centre.

Narrator: You have been listening to ‘Our Stories’. Please tune in this same

time next week for another edition of the programme. My name is

Abasifreke Moses Akpan. Thanks to Uncle Tony Okofu for his assistance

and to UNICEF for supporting the programme. The programme was

produced by Auntie Mercy Njoku.