Akwa Ibom Commission assures fairness in making recommendations

The chairman of Akwa Ibom Judicial Commission ofInquiry into Witchcraft Accusations and Child Abuses, Justice Godwin Abraham, on Sunday in London, gave an assurance for fairness in passing recommendations on such matters.

The commission was in London to hear evidence from Stepping Stones Nigeria (SSN), a child rights non-governmental organisation based in the UK, which has been at the centre of the alleged child abuses controversy in Akwa Ibom.

The Chairman said that recommendations made would be fair as well as address stigmatisation and abuse of children.

"We are here to make recommendations that will have far reaching effects not only in addressing the issue of witchcraft but also in addressing the welfare of children in Akwa Ibom State.

He described the trip as worth embarking on considering the evidence from Foxcroft, thereby dismissing the notion that the commission members were on a jamboree in London. 

"There were lots of accusations and allegations against the SSN/UK which is based in the UK and collaborates with Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRAN) in Cross River State.

"Due to security reasons, Mr. Gary Foxcroft, the SSN Programme Director, was unable to testify in Nigeria, hence the sitting in London," he said.

He stressed that the state government was determined to unravel the truth, especially with regards to allegations of children being accused of witchcraft and being stigmatised. He said allegations such as children being killed or buried alive in shallow graves were also being investigated.

According to Abraham, the issues are 'a source of concern to the state government given the fact that the present government is child-friendly".

"We are not just concerned about the issue of witchcraft, we are also worried about why child destitutes are on the increase on our streets," he said

Abraham said the future of a child, if not given the required attention, care, and support, at the appropriate time could be destroyed.

The commission was established in November 2010 by the state governor, Godswill Akpabio, with a mandate to investigate the extent of child witchcraft accusations in the state and make recommendations.

The Akwa Ibom Judicial Commission of  Inquiry into Witchcraft Accusations and Child Abuses on Sunday concluded its sitting in London,

The commission which was established in November 2010 by governor Godswill Akpabio, with a mandate to investigate the extent of child witchcraft accusations in the state and offer recommendations.

Also speaking during the seating, Ekpeyong Ntekim, the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, listed the mandate of the commission to include determining the veracity of the allegations of witchcraft against children and the infliction of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment on such children.

Nketim said the commission would also examine the allegations that children in the state were stigmatised, threatened, tortured or killed on the grounds of being witches and wizards. Adding that they would determine the number of children abused or killed on account of such allegations and the locations and persons involved in such abuses.

The SSN in its reaction through an officer Emilie Secker, said it had already submitted an 800-page dossier of evidence detailing the ways children's rights were abused after being accused of witchcraft.

"We are very pleased that the commission heard further oral evidence from us in London," she said. "We are also happy that the work of the commission is being monitored by human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office as well as the Nigerian government."