“I lived in the bush for a year to avoid ‘witch killers’- 6 year old Israel Effiong disturbing story

Many stigmatized ‘Witch Children’ have
found refuge at Child’s Rights and
Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) center, in
Akwa Ibom. The children were branded as
“witches” by their families, cast out, and
shunned by society.
One of them is six-year-old Israel Effiong,
from Ikot Uso Ekong, Eket, who was accused
of being responsible for his father’s sickness.
Brutally tortured and beaten, driven from his
home and made an outcast in his community,
he was forced by the so called ‘witch killers’
to run away and hide in a bush for a year,
eating scraps from the market, before he was
rescued by Edoho, a volunteer with the
organisation.
Read his disturbing story below.
“My name is Israel Effiong, from Ikot Uso
Ekong, Eket. When my father became ill and
taken to a hospital, my stepmom asked if I
knew anything about his illness. I told her
that I could not think of anything bad about
my father because he’s the supporting me.
“When his illness took a turn for the worst,
my stepmom became angry with me.
In the nights, she’ll wake me up, tie my
hands and legs then poured wild ants all over
my body while asking me to relieve my dad
from the witches coven. At times she would
tie my hand and legs, began to hit my heads
with sticks and electrical wires.
She stopped giving me food and locked me
out of the house. I went and told the
neighbors living close to us. She said she
could not allow me to stay with her because
my stepmother will be angry with her.
“The people living around us began to hate
me and asked not to come close to their
children. I went and slept in the village town
hall. One night, some men came and saw me
there, they brought me out and asked me to
dance as witches. When I told them that I
didn’t know witches dance, they used sticks
and matches to beat me. A man who was
passing by came and told them not kill me.
They left me and warned me not come there
again. I went and stayed in a bush and be
coming out in the night to pick up leftover
from the market garbage
“One day, I was tired and slept off in the
market, a boy by name Edoho came and saw
me there and told me he would come back
and take me to a safe place where other
children like me are living. I told him where I
normally stay in the bush.
Yesterday, he came and took me the CRARN
Children Center, Eket. I’m very glad to stay
here because I would go to school again and
sleep without fear of the unknown.”
Edoho, is a former child at CRARN Children
Center. He now serves as one of the
volunteers who rescue children to the centre.