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Abandoned "Nigerian Witch Children" protest Police brutality in Eket, Akwa Ibom state

July 6, 2009

Image removed.Over 300 children from Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) centre for abandoned children in Eket, Southern Akwa Ibom state Today took to the streets to protest Police brutality on the children at the centre last week leaving the inmates of the home with serious injuries.


Unidentified armed men last weekend who claimed to be policemen invaded the centre and brutalized the children in an effort to arrest the President of CRARN, Mr. Sam Ikpe-Itauma.

 Sahara reporters gathered that Churches that extort money from helpless parents let by Rev. Helen Ukpabio trumped up charges against the President of CRARN to destabilize the NGO.

 The Children from the CRARN centre who were joined by other children carried placards across the streets of Eket to the local government secretariat, Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Eket and Terminated at Eket Police Division.

 Some of the placards read “we are not witches, fake pastors, leave us alone; give us a chance to develop, our rights are endangered; implement the child rights act”

 The Children took their protest to Eket council headquarters,where they were recieved by the Council Secretary Mr. Emmanuel Abasiubong who pledged to make their grievances known the Akwa Ibom state government.

 At the Divisional Police Headquarters in Eket the children complained of insecurity at the centre and requested police protection at the centre.

 Ikpe-Itauma  who decried the harassment by the Police told Sahara Reporters that three Children Miss Idong Friday Akpan 11, Miss Stella Okon, 12  and Master Effiong Sunday 14 sustained serious injuries and are receiving medical attention at a clinic in Eket.

  Image removed.“The violent manner of the men conducted them selves casts serious doubts about their intentions and that was why I had to flee for the safety of my life, and when the children resisted their intrusion to the centre they were seriously beaten up and three of them have been hospitalized” Ikpe-Itauma said.

 CRARN an NGO runs a centre for stigmatized children accused of being witches and abandoned by their parents.

 Other Non Governmental Organisations involved in child rights advocacy joined the CRARN children in the protest.

 Diana Abasi Uduak, Campaign and Advocacy Manager, Stepping Stones Nigeria Child Empowerment Foundation said that they joined in the protest in solidarity with CRARN

 “We all work in the same terrain with the same kind of stigmatized children, and we are partners with CRARN so anything that affects CRARN invariably affects us. Our position is that the government should ensure the security of CRARN staff and Stepping Stone Staff as well as implementing the Child Rights Law in the state which outlawed labeling children as witches, yet the churches are still doing it.

 “The rights of these innocent children should be protected, they are the future hope of this generation so we enlist the support of the state government to provide security at the CRARN centre” Uduak said.

Our Sources at Eket Police Division said that the men who broke into the centre were poicemen from Lagos Police command who were instigated against Mr. Sam Ikpe-Itauma by "Reverend" Helen Akpabio.

 Akwa Ibom Police Command spokesman Mr. Gabriel Ngban could not be reachedfor comments as his mobile phones were switched off.

 

 

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