Witchhunt in the Nigerdelta - The killing of children in the sake of god

Thousands of children are tortured and killed in Africa, because pastors and members of the families accused them of being witches. The Nigerian states of Cross River and Akwa Ibom are hotspots of these atrocities. Pentecoastal church pastors have gained a lot of power over their congregations and of course earn a lot of money while they are spreading the fear of witches. They use the bible to control the business of witchcraft. Their followers believe their superstitious messages, which results in the death of many children.

Jehptha’s stepmother decided to destroy his life. She accused the 12-year-old boy of being a witch. The father threw him on the street like garbage, but Jehptha returned to his home. The father promised to kill the boy but took him to a pastor who put the boy in chains, cut his hair, painted his face black, gave him a potion to drink and tried to hammer nails into his head. Jehptha survived but is heavily traumatised.

Prophet Nathaniel, the self-appointed evangelist „Godmessenger“ is one of the stars among the pastors of pentecoastal churches in southern Nigeria. His fame is based on his show of miracles and witchcraft. He tells his followers why they should kill their own father or why they live in a metaphorical coffin filled with demons. His followers belief this charlatan and donate their money. The greed, the power and the unscrupulousness of pastors like the „Godmessenger“ are the reason why children as the weakest part of the society must pay the price and die as witches.

The "Godmessenger" in his element. He controls his believers and of course the basketsful of money, which the sheeps fill for him. For this money he tells them lies and fairy tales written in the bible and nonsense about witchcraft.

Mary and Aniema, 12 and 9 years old, have been stigmatized as witches because of a dream of their older sister. People of her family attacked them with machetes and tried to kill them, because the girls did’nt want to confess to being witches. The young sisters, tied up on their hands, ran away and begged people on the street to help them. But the onlookers rather followed the invitation of the inquisitors to beat up the witches. LUcikily, Mary and Aniema survived and live now in different region of Nigeria.

After a life as a childslave in her aunt’s household, Hope began to oppose her fate. Her aunt accused her of being a witch and threw her out on the street. Here she was gangraped several times.

To display to the crowd his magic hands, pastor Udohs show ends up with miracles. This evangelist pretends to even heal blind people like Jesus. It has never been proved that he can walk on water, but pastor Udoh spreads the idea of killing witches, as he believes it is ordered in the bible. And people follow.

These streetkids find their meal on the dump. Victor, Daniel and King have been accused of witchcraft and consequently nearly lost their lives. Their parents are scared of witches and tried to kill their children or cast them out of the street. A local NGO gives them a little food and hope.

Stigmatized as a witch, outcast by his mother, nearly killed by his father and tortured by the pastor. Now Jehptha (12) has ended up on a dump in Uyo and shares his meals with rats.

Pastor Udohs job is to get rich by telling antiquated nonsens about demons, witches and satan. With his influence he provides the best breeding ground for thinking in witchcraft and the horrors against children.

Boy from the place „Eleveneleven“ in Calabar. Most of the kids had been accused of witchcraft and ran away before the pastors could torture the innocent victims with their excorcism.

Branded as witches and without prospects for their lives. The future of the streetkids from "Eleveneleven" in Calabar is crime and prostitution.

It’s a shame how these kids get treated by the society. First this children were branded as witches and lost their families, their home and their future. Now they have to live on the street and the same people tread them as garbage and avoid any contact with these witches.

The children at Calabars "Eleveneleven" start their day with a bath.

For streetkids it's all about food.

"Father my Father" ist a superstar in the pentecoastal church scene. His sucess is based on incitement to murder. He tells the people that witches must die, because one scatterbrain wrote this in the bible - 2000 years ago. That means that today children must die, if they are witches.

The life of David Orji was pain, tears and forlornness. His father Alvan flogged his son everyday nearly to death. The scars on his back will vanish, but the marks of witchcraft in Davids soul will last forever.

A friend told Alvan Orji that his son got the devil inside. This information was enough for the father to flog his child everyday with his belt and electric wire. David was 3 month old. The torture took 8 month before the human rights lawyer James Ibor saved Davids life.

James Ibor is human rights lawyer by the ngo BRCI (British Rights Counselling Initiative) and is shocked by the brutalities that happend in the name of god against the children in Nigeria. Particular the pastors established a regime in which they steal the money from the poor people by manipulation and provides a climate of witchcraft. Witchcraft is a huge market run by pentecoastal churches and goddam rich criminals in robes. In this climate of witchcraft thousands of children got killed by parents and pastors. "This charlatans steal the money and kill our children", so Ibor.

Pastor Honesty is one of those charlatans who promote witchcraft and metaphorically dig the grave for the children they accuse of being witches.

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The home WTTN (Way To The Nation) was found by Leo Santos in Eket. The Brazilian gives hope in a city in which 4 year old children die with nails in their head in front of a busy market. People are scared of witchcraft and avoid contact to witches. This is the sucess of pastors, who spread the idea of better kill a witch than get bewitched yourself.

Diana leads the home WTTN (Way To The Nation) for streetkids in Eket. More than 60 percent of the cases are witchcraft related. That means every file is a life full of horror, tears, pain and lost. And every day the pastors in Akwa Ibom produce new files and destroy more lifes.

Angela enjoys the rain in the home WTTN (Way To The Nation) in Eket. She was branded as a witch and could escape before she had to die.

The home WTTN (Way To The Nation) was found by Leo Santos in Eket. He gives these stigmatized and traumatized boys and girls a save place to grow and a future.

At night the former streetkids remember the first life in their own families, when the were playing football with the neighbors and the visits at the pastors church on sunday. Often one visit to much. From one day to the next this life was destroyed. They were witches!

The sadness of these traumatized kids in a home in Calabar is tangible. While the kids playing with crown caps or football they are laughing, but after the match the eyes turn back into a sad shadow, which covers the whole society.