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.
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.
