| Summary/Abstract |
The child-witch phenomenon in Nigeria is a devastating menace that is ravaging families in the Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states of the Southern Region of Nigeria. This phenomenon is a creation of religious frauds like witch-doctors, Alfas, priests, prophets and prophetesses who claim that they have the power to know who is a witch or wizard. This has led to over 200,000 children between the ages of 5 and 17, being thrown out on to the streets. Women also suffer a similar fate in the hands of their husbands, in-laws and children. The situation had become so dreadful that the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State passed a Child Rights Law, which prohibits stigmatising any child, as a witch, or killing or maiming any child, in addition to the existing provisions of the Criminal and Penal Codes. Emmanuel A Adesina, Adeola Omotunde and Olufemi Abifarin, examine critically this category of criminal behaviour and offer a pragmatic solution to the problem.
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