Child witches of Nigeria

© Toby Binder - Image from the Child witches of Nigeria photography project © Toby Binder - Uwe lives alone with his father. The rest of the family left the two because they believed, Uwe was bewitched by a neighbor. © Toby Binder - Two girls who are said to be bewitched sleeping on a covered billiard table in the children's home of CRARN. View all images ↓
View all images ↓
  • Dates
    2012 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Topics Daily Life, Social Issues, Documentary

About 160 children stigmatized as witches live in the Centre of the „Child‘s Right And Rehabilitation Network“ (CRARN) in Eket, Southeastern Nigeria.

About 160 children stigmatized as witches live in the Centre of the „Child‘s Right And Rehabilitation Network“ (CRARN) in Eket, Southeastern Nigeria. The NGO

takes care of girls and boys from four to sixteen years old who have been abandoned or abused after being accused of being witches. Evangelical pastors are helping to create a terrible new campaign of violence against young Nigerians. Children branded as evil are being abused, abandoned

and even murdered while the preachers make money out of the fear of their

parents and their communities. „So many people here believe that children can be possessed by demons that there is rarely any action taken against those who claim to deliver the children in violent exorcisms,“ says Sam Itauma, of the Child‘s Right and Rehabilitation Network.

Ostracised, vulnerable and frightened, she wandered the streets in south-eastern Nigeria, sleeping rough, struggling to stay alive. Stella was found by Jehu Tom, a rescue officer from CRARN and today lives at the Centre with 160 other children who have been branded witches, blamed for all their family‘s woes, and abandoned.

Before being pushed out of their homes many were beaten or slashed with knives, thrown onto fires, or had acid poured over them as a punishment or in an attempt to make them „confess“ to being possessed. In one horrific case, a young girl called

Uma had a three-inch nail driven into her skull. The devil‘s children are „identified“ by powerful religious leaders at extremist churches where Christianity and traditional beliefs have combined to produce a deep-rooted belief in, and fear of, witchcraft. The priests spread the message that child-witches bring destruction, disease and death to their families. And they say

that, once possessed, children can cast spells and contaminate others. The religious leaders offer help to the families whose children are named as witches, but at a price. The churches run exorcism, or „deliverance“, evenings where the pastors attempt to drive out the evil spirits. Only they have the power to cleanse the child

of evil spirits, they say. The exorcism costs the families up to a year‘s income.

© Toby Binder - Image from the Child witches of Nigeria photography project
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Stella has been living on the streets of the small fishing village Ibaka in the Niger Delta for months before becoming rescued by the CRARN-team. Not only her face is ravaged by what she underwent.

© Toby Binder - Uwe lives alone with his father. The rest of the family left the two because they believed, Uwe was bewitched by a neighbor.
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Uwe lives alone with his father. The rest of the family left the two because they believed, Uwe was bewitched by a neighbor.

© Toby Binder - Two girls who are said to be bewitched sleeping on a covered billiard table in the children's home of CRARN.
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Two girls who are said to be bewitched sleeping on a covered billiard table in the children's home of CRARN.

© Toby Binder - Children are singing during the Sunday service at the Centre of CRARN.
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Children are singing during the Sunday service at the Centre of CRARN.

© Toby Binder - Image from the Child witches of Nigeria photography project
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Nkoyo is sleeping on the floor of a dormitory in the shelter of the NGO “Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Centre”. When the children arrive at the Centre most of them believe to be what everybody calls them: Witches! Although they don’t really understand what this should be. Sam Itauma tries to provoke them and says: “Can you fly at nights? Then fly!”

© Toby Binder - Emediong is swinging on the playground of the CRARN-Centre.
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Emediong is swinging on the playground of the CRARN-Centre.

© Toby Binder - A boy sleeps while it’s raining, protected on the porch of the classrooms.
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A boy sleeps while it’s raining, protected on the porch of the classrooms.

© Toby Binder - Image from the Child witches of Nigeria photography project
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After having been rescued from the streets and brought to the Centre Stella gets washed by Bright who has been living here already for a while. Then her injuries and illnesses are poorly supplied.

© Toby Binder - Children sleeping after class on the floor in the Centre of the Child’s Right And Rehabilitation Network.
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Children sleeping after class on the floor in the Centre of the Child’s Right And Rehabilitation Network.

© Toby Binder - In a filthy shack Stella found shelter and lived on fish scraps that were left to her.
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In a filthy shack Stella found shelter and lived on fish scraps that were left to her.

© Toby Binder - Image from the Child witches of Nigeria photography project
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Children are abandoned, tortured and killed because they are said to be witches. Maltreated and wounded boy who is living as a child-witch on the streets of the small fishing village Ibaka in the Niger Delta.

© Toby Binder - Abraham, 8, Israel Ekpa, 12 and Godwin, 9 playing cards in one of the dormitories of the Centre.
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Abraham, 8, Israel Ekpa, 12 and Godwin, 9 playing cards in one of the dormitories of the Centre.

© Toby Binder - The father wants to get rid of the boy and asks CRARN to take care of him.
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The father wants to get rid of the boy and asks CRARN to take care of him.

© Toby Binder - Helen in one of the dormitories. Often two children have to share one bed because daily newcomers arrive.
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Helen in one of the dormitories. Often two children have to share one bed because daily newcomers arrive.

© Toby Binder - For the last time he washes and oils Uwe – this is to protect him from evil spirits.
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For the last time he washes and oils Uwe – this is to protect him from evil spirits.

Child witches of Nigeria by Toby Binder

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