Prophetess Allegedly Sets Boy Ablaze for Witchcraft in Awka Ibom

9 years ago

Prophetess Allegedly Sets Boy Ablaze for Witchcraft in Awka Ibom

A prophetess identified as Patience Amos Johnson, 30, of Light of God Ministry, Okon Eket in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has been docked over an attempt to kill an11-year-old boy,

Mmenyene Christopher Eyo. According to Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Glory Emmanuel Edet, one Mr. Christopher Awakessien Eyo, 49, is also facing trial for conspiring with the prophetess to set his son ablaze in the guise of delivering him of wizardry.

Edet, who explained that the duo were facing trial following concluded investigation into the case recently, condemned the incessant abuse of children and the callousness with which Akwa Ibom children are treated by their parents who should love them as rare gifts from God.

Vanguard gathered that Mmenyene is currently in the custody of his uncle in Afaha Nsit while the prophetess and the boy’s father were remanded in Police custody.

My ordeal, by victim:

Narrating his story, Mmenyene, who was a pupil of QIC Primary School, Ikot Iwud Atan-Akpan in Ikot Iwud village, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, disclosed that his ordeal started when he woke up one morning and narrated a dream he had the previous night of how he saw himself in the midst of people and was given biscuit to eat.
He narrated the dream to his paternal grand- mother.

“The old woman immediately told the boy’s father, who simply reached a conclusion that it was wizardry which must be promptly dealt with. And as part of the treatment, Mmenyene’s father locked him up in an unused toilet for days without food, from where he took him to a church in Okopedi.

“From Okopedi, I was taken to the Light of God Ministry, Okon Eket in Eket LGA, where I was allegedly given olive oil and other mixtures to drink by the prophetess in a bid to make me confess to witchcraft.

“When this failed, the prophetess poured kerosene on me from a lantern in the church, from my neck down to the lower parts of my body, struck a match and set me ablaze.

“The prophetess then instructed my father to take me away after I had been burnt. I was taken back to Nsit Ibom and locked up again in the unused toilet in the compound for many days without food.

“It was at this point that my younger brother, Samuel Christopher Eyo, also dubbed a wizard raised alarm and alerted neighbours, who now called in the police. The Police swung into action by breaking into the toilet to rescue me and arrested both culprits.

“My step-mother, who was aware of my ordeal, never came to my rescue. Instead, she accused me of being responsible for the death of her child”.