boy, Asuquo Edet from Akwa Ibom
State - was mid last week tortured for
more than four hours before finally
axed on the head to a state of coma by
assailants numbering about ten over
allegation of using witchcraft power to
kill his father. Narrating his ordeal in
the hands from those he called 'local
cultists' to newsmen, Asuquo, who
hails from Ikon- Edikor, Udung Uko
Local Government Area, said he was
reconciled with his parents few months
ago by an Eket based non-profit
organization, the Child's Right and
Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) that
runs a centre for witch stigmatized
children, having lived there for over a
year. He maintained that his father who
had unknown health issue received him
with open arms, before he died a few
days ago. ''My father was very happy to
see me again after abandoning me for
more than three years on the streets
because one soothsayer, by name Alex
Otong from Obughu, bought by my
stepmother told him that I was a
wizard; and responsible for his illness,
the poverty and misfortune in the
family….'' The Junior Secondary II
student said he was sitting in his late
father's house, mourning his death that
fateful day when the hoodlums led by
two of his stepmother's brothers, by
name Silas and Peter Inwang cordoned
the house and started beating him with
machetes, cables, rods, spine-sticks
and 'mbritem' a local sugarcane-like
plant while questioning him why he
returned from exile only to kill his
father; assuring him that he was seeing
the sun for the last time in his life. The
beating which started about 12:00 pm
last Wednesday lasted for about four
hours when he finally fell into a state of
coma after they used ax to break his
head. The attackers abandoned Asuquo
in in his pool of blood when they
presumed that he was dead. He
disclosed that he was only woken up in
the evening around 7:00 pm by a
woman, who frequently visits the area
for business; who asked him to leave
the house before the cult men
discovered he was still alive, as they
would not hesitate to renew their
attack or kill him immediately. Master
Asuquo said he wobbled into the
nearby bush where he hid himself for
three days eating just raw cassava to
survive before he came out to meet the
Good Samaritan woman who gave him
Five Hundred Naira (N500) to pay his
way to the CRARN Children shelter,
about a 160km away from his
hometown. He strongly fingered his
stepmother who had ten children to his
late father as the mastermind of the
attack on him. Adding that, while he
was being brutalized, by the dare
devils, they persistently poured urine
and combine (a local gin mixed with
marijuana) on him which burned him
like fire all over his body. On arrival at
the CRARN Children Shelter, he was
given first aid before taken to the
Immanuel General Hospital Eket for
treatment. But the Doctor on call
insisted that given the extent of
injuries on his body, he must get a
police report before he could be
attended to. The CRARN Centre
Administrative Officer, Mr. Nsidibe Orok
told this reporter that Asuquo was
currently receiving treatment at the
Immanuel General Hospital, Eket at
moment. A senior police officer in Oron
Area Command who did not want his
name in print, however, said
investigation will commence when the
victim's health improves. He expressed
worry over the new surge in child witch
related abuse in the state, and
promised the command willingness to
deal with abuses of like nature. "Let his
health gets improved, we will
investigate the matter. I can assure you
that this command will not fold its arm
and watch children being brutalized in
the name of witchcraft or whatever
guise." The police chief assures.
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