A 15 year boy, Asuquo Edet from Akwa Ibom State - last week tortured for more than 4 hours before finally axed on the top 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 along 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.
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He maintained that his father who'd unknown health issue received him with open arms, before he died a couple of 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 in charge of 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 home 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 simply to kill his father; assuring him he was seeing sunlight for the last time in his life.
The beating which started about 12:00 pm last Wednesday lasted for around four hours when he finally fell in to a state of coma when they used ax to break his head. The attackers abandoned Asuquo in his pool of blood when they presumed he was dead.
He disclosed he was woken up later in the day around 7:00 pm by a lady, who frequently visits the location for business; who asked him to leave the home 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 in to the nearby bush where he hid himself for three days eating just raw cassava to survive before he arrived on the scene to meet the Good Samaritan woman who gave him Five Hundred Naira (N500) to pay for his way to the CRARN Children shelter, about a 160km far from his hometown.
He strongly fingered his stepmother who'd ten children to his late father because the mastermind of the attack on him. Adding that, while he had been brutalized, by the dare devils, they persistently poured urine and combine (a local gin combined with marijuana) on him which burned him like fire around his body.
On arrival at the CRARN Children Shelter, he was given first aid before taken fully to the Immanuel General Hospital Eket for treatment. However the Doctor on call insisted that given the extent of injuries on his body, he must get himself 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 need his name on the net, however, said investigation will commence once the victim's health improves. He expressed worry over the newest surge in child witch related abuse in their state, and promised the command willingness to cope with abuses of like nature.
“Let his health gets improved, we will investigate the matter. I will assure you that the police command won't fold its arm and watch children being brutalized in the name of witchcraft or whatever guise.” The authorities chief assures.
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