Wednesday 26 November 2008

Akwa Ibom Witch Children

WARNING! DISTURBING CONTENT

This was sent to me today by a friend. It disturbed me and brought tears to my eyes; I could not even view parts 2 to 6.

Is this Nigeria? Are we worse off or better off in our country where people tie down children accused of mental illness as if they were goats? Is this a sign of the lawlessness that pervades our country? Do we need English men to come in to save us from ourselves, and our children from us? Is this our own 'Spanish Inquisition'? If the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile could get it out of their system in 1478, why is Nigeria like this in 2008? Is it a failure of leadership?


31 comments:

ShadeCrown said...

1st.

am kinda scared to watch... will brb

Jinta said...

* sha - it's totally disturbed me, i swear

Buki said...

That video is totally insane, that is not christianity, that is derangement...seriously, our people need help.

Edirin said...

i am absolutely speechless, WOW!!!

Let me go and finish it..

Edirin said...

are they serious, so its just random men that decide who the "Witches" are?

and what are they using Jesus's name for, Witch doctor, they all need deliverance

400,000...just mentally scaring these little children for life, SMH

ShadeCrown said...

I actually saw d mme on tv, itsreally sad sha dat at this day n age dat kinda ish can happen.
i didnt watch d vid u posted but i'm assuming its d same.

the organisation has a website

Website:
http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org/

You can donate via JustGiving:
http://www.justgiving.com/steppingstonesnigeria

ShadeCrown said...

*mme = programme

Jinta said...

* buki - what is the difference btw that 'pastor' and an animal? none

* fresh - i still cannot bear to think of it. it makes me shudder

* sha - on a (much-needed) lighter note, i think you're going to invent another language with your 'mme = programme'

darkelcee said...

Saw this on someone's blog yesterday so i went to youtube in search of more video....i felt really sad!

at this age and time? and nobody seem to be saying anything? just see the poor boy's tears......too sad.

We need to really pray against this.

Artsville said...

Akwa Ibom, the land of my birth. When Jeremy and Head and around first commented on this issue earlier this year, I cried foul.Now it is staring me in the face and I am shamed that people would dare do this.
Whatever it is that we can do to stop this nonsense, we will do it.

Jen Juma said...

Could you change the title to Nigerian or Akwa ibom witch children? Africa just generalizes in a bad way.

Its really pathetic that we had to wait for brits to come and do somethiing positive about the 'child witch' situation.

I hope we can get more involved to helping these kids!

Jennifer A. said...

The annoying thing is that it took an English man, with a heart of kindness, who could not look away when he saw the injustice, to let the whole world know.

Now we know, we must disrupt these hideous activities.

Jennifer A. said...

And yeah, immediately I saw the video I couldn't help but post it on my blog as well, albeit without allowing comments. I just wanted to say how I felt about it.

The Activist said...

This is a shame. It says a lot about our belief system. The fundamentalism of our religions. The misconception of our religions as well

But why our leaders are not reshaping things is what I dont get

I think it's because they believe in this as well. They believe that anyone can be a witch or wizard and they consult some of these religion leaders for thier own electoral victory

Some even kill or us human part to be a leader. We have seen and heard it all

Jinta said...

* dark becksy - it was the fear in the children's eyes that really tore at my heart

*artsville - hopefully the exposure everyone's giving the issue will help some way

* ladi - the title has been promptly changed. thaks for the suggestion. may God be with those kids

* jaycee - i was quite surprised when i saw it was already on yours. the shock was so much i was casting around for solace

* standtall - i agree its all to do with leadership

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

Ah, Nigeria. My beloved country. God...

guerreiranigeriana said...

...really disturbing!...on sooo many levels...besides what is done to the children and the misuse of religion, but the way in which akwa ibom is now africa (save afria's witch children), the englishman is portrayed as the savior when the akwa ibom women and man started the refuge house long before brittie came in...the whole thing makes me sick...amazing what people will do and believe in an attempt to explain misfortune, poverty and misgivings in their lives...

Jay said...

Saw this is tv...its beyond sad :(

In my head and around me said...

You cried? That would have been interesting to see.

On a serious note though, this thing shows how depraved we are. Anything for the money.

Sherri said...

very sad!
even more sad is the powerlessness of the people who can actually help.

my dad told me bluntly "melo melo" when i brought the issue to his attention.
he went on to cite that this were the same people who killed twins before Mary Slessor's intervention.
he also mentioned a recent case where a female judge granted bail to a man convicted of raping an 8year old girl and the nightmare he's going thru trying to get her off the bench.

how are u?

Jinta said...

* ms sydelle - yes, God...

* g-nigeriana - you articulated something that was whirling around my mind and i could not put into words - it is wrong on so many levels

* jarrai - on tv as well? why isn't our govt doing anything about it?

* in my head - 'cried' is an understatement. i literally wailed for a good 10 seconds. my constitution simply could not cope with what i was seeing

* sherri - your dad is right in saying 'melo melo'. i'm wondering: is it living in the west that's made us so sensitive? i think if i were still living in lagos i would feel the same way.

i'm ok thanks, except when i'm thinking of those children's tears and the fear in their eyes

Sisem E. Naidem said...

This is HORRIBLE! Terrible! For once I was glad to have a poor internet connection because watching the video as slow as it downloaded was already tearing me apart. The saddest thing is that issues like these keep resurfacing day in day out and we rage about it then go back to our "normal" existences till they crop up again.
Nigeria, why do our own kids (emphasis on "our own kids") have to die before we finally learn?

Afrobabe said...

I actually saw it on tv with some white friends and spent the whole night explaining that the whole of naija wasn't like that...really shameful..how do u get people who have seen such videos to visit naija???

Anonymous said...

am scared to watch o!!ok let me watch

Chris Ogunlowo said...

I read this about this on Jeremy's blog. It's so disturbing.

... perhaps we may have to employ the strategies of Ferdinand and Isabella to get rid of this mess.

NaijaBabe said...

This was aired on british tv...can you imagine...I got to uni the next day and everyone was talking about it....facebook status of numerous people were changing every minute to something like I dont believe this is happening".

I didnt watch it, but hearing people talking about it made me cry, so imagine the tears of those that actually saw it. Though I did see the little girl crying after her mother at the end of the show.

We talked about why these things still occurred and all our arguments balled down to illiteracy and poverty. If people didnt seek inhumane ways of making a livelihood, they wouldnt resort to this and if people were at least semi educated, it doesnt take PhD holder to see that this is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.

But then what can we do, these people are sinking in this belief and it doesnt look like they will be rescued anytime soon

Shubby Doo said...

had a rant about this at mine too...words simply fail me...i heard the governor is now taking a stand against this and they have now arrested the pastor...

Buki said...

UPDATE!!!

O'Dee said...

Will pass on watching this, as u already said its disturbing.

dScR?Be said...

I'm sorry but this video TOTALLY PISSED ME OFF! I mean what the crap is this mess???!!!!

HISSS! This is OBVIOUSLY YAHOOYAHOO ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LEVEL!!

These young "smart" guys with absolutely NOTHING to do, gather around to exploit a "profitable" aspect of the Nigerian society!

And then the frigging reporters are taking advantage of a blatantly ridiculous situation!!

Which "pastor" or "bishop" actually walks around dressed like that? living in such penury as in obvious in his choice of dress and where they chose to shoot the video, as young as that and surrounded with "onlookers" or thugs!?

Illiteracy is a SERIOUS offence and is punishable by all of this nonsense! This has absolutely nothing to do with God or religion -- has EVERYTHING to do with the general political and economic problems in Nigeria!

1ST OFF! These british pple should be more productive -- the global economy is in crisis! Surely they can find other things to do with their funds! Why r pple so frigging selfish!??!! What was even the purpose of making this information public?! a cry for help? or a desperate attempt to highlight the good works of a "humanitarian"??!! ARRGGHHH!

People piss me off!!

The dude is clearly doing business because he has nothing else to do! Clearly its a sad situation for the children but until theres more REAL POSITIVE ACTION from fellow "humanitarians", the Nigerian government and so-called true living churches and less video shoots and documentaries; nothing will change!

So all the other churches in AKB r not aware of the child witches??! Only uncle Bishop with the red sash?! Hissssssss...... Nonsense and ingredient.. i've been tryin 2 keep quiet on this issue since but its frigging blowing me!!!

... i know i've said a lot... maybe i'm taking my frustration out on d video, sorry! :)

Bless

dScR?Be said...

In addition, so Uncle WhiteBoy is the only one helping in the situation?? I SERIOUSLY doubt it!

This thing is even pissing me off the more I think about it!!!???!!! I mean WHAT the crap??!! Peoples' ways of resolving issues drives me nuts!!

Its one thing 4 smn 2 have an opinion about sth.. its another thing to have a conversation about it in an internationally broadcasted interview -- not for the "bishop" to showcase his exorcism excercise! A true mockery of the situation!

If this thing is soo bad why can't misterwhiteman educate the villagers? what r the other things he has done for the witch children and their families???

Arggh! I know I should go do some research on d dude but quite frankly the whole thing has churned my belly... its just like a white man in a position to educate and cause a change, filming the lynching a black man -- what does that do please? or what has it done? caused an International outrage and awareness of hate crimes? what else??

Has it stopped lynching? Has it caused a ruling against lynching? answer is no! People still lynch other pple!
My argument is MrWhiteHumanitarian's method of whateverthecraphe'stryingtodo is rather suspect!

Arrgghhh.. I'm done!

Lemme go read ur other posts and try 2 forget about this mess!