Hi, I’m Sam Itauma and I run a child rescue center for rejected and tortured “witch children” in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Ask me anything.

Hi there Sam Itauma. I have a lot of respect for what you do.

What made you start this work? And can it ever really safe for a child to go back to their home once you've had to rescue them?

Out of compelling belief that the victims are being tortured for no justification, compassion, and sense of guilt for inaction. Some the have gone back home successfully and we always do a follow up for up two to four years. But I must say that reunification is the most challenging part of our work.

I know I'm late, but could you describe some of these particular challenges in more detail?

Yes. Reunification is very difficult because you could only convince one or two persons in the family that a child is not a witch while other members of the family or household are not. So they could still be maltreating or threatening the child and ask them to confess if they were witches or not. There’re times we run out of patience with this behavior and have to get the police to arrest some individuals who pose a threat to the reunification of the child.

Wow, good for you for working to help the kids live their lives! Bless you!

Bless you too

How easy/common is it to get people to realize they're victimizing an innocent child? How successful are you at getting them to "see the light?"

It’s quite difficult, I must say. But we do this through explanation using the science and scripture. We also create questions and answers session during town hall meetings, pastors’ parleys (seminars). We’ve had a good success story no doubt but a lot still need to be done. For example, before now, stigmatized children never came out to the streets to beg for alms; they’d be viciously attacked. So they chose to stay in the bush. But now, they can come out and beg for alms without being attacked. However, it really depends on the area.

Is there any common trait that leads to kids being singled out as witches/wizards, like birth defects or albinism or being a twin?

Common traits include but not limited to epilepsy, being dull or extraordinarily intelligent, stubbornness, being inquisitive and waywardness.

So pretty much any child who is not considered "normal"

Perfectly so

So basically, just being a child? Seems like the real factor would be whatever horrid adult wants to target them

Fear due to superstition hoisted by religious fanatics and fueled poverty.

That could apply to any child at all.

Of course

Ok, so what is the government doing to help you?

The government out of our pressure has enacted laws against the practices but implementation is a far cry from home.

What happens to the children you’re able to rescue?

First of all, we try to reach out to their families in a bid to reunify them. Depending on the situation, we could try reunification again in two or months while the children are in the center. As the children are in the center, they undergo counseling and treatment even as they go school. Some of them are made to go school up to tertiary or college level while a few are made to learn trade - skill acquisition.

Thank you for your service to mankind. Blessings to you!

Bless you too

How do you determine how likely it is the children will be targeted again once home, in order to reunite them safely? (Or is that not often an issue?)

We try to get the children memorize our hotlines in case they have problems. And also tell them to pick a cab or bike to the center and we will pay. Or run to the nearest police station or ask someone to help them locate us. Our unscheduled visits to children’s families also help identify if there’s problems. Of course, we have had post reunification problem that even lead to the children coming back to the CRARN Children Center.

How can you look the people who do something like this out of greed or religious fanaticism in the eye? What do you say to them, if anything at all?

Depending on the situation, we engage them in enlightenment discussion or report them to the police.

I wish I had your serenity. Thanks for what you do. I know violence would just make it all worse, but I'm not sure I could control my temper anywhere near as good as you.

I don’t think it will be wise to try to match the strength of a violent group of people with a single person.

You're right about that as well. I also believe that your peaceful way improved things a lot more than violence ever could.

Many thanks

Weapons. :3 No, I don't think violence is the answer, but this story is so enraging.. it's indeed hard to stay cool knowing what those people are doing, regardless of how dumb/poor they are.

Keeping cool in the face of rage is the best way to handle such situations, especially when you actually want to save lives.

You're absolutely right, especially when you're currently in such a situation, keeping cool can mean the difference between life and death.

I am not a person with a lot of hate in their heart, and much of the opposite. It breaks a little to see how these people, human being are being treated, children no less. I know there's still many places in the world where such evil exists, and it's hard not to hate those that perpetrate it. I'm not religious, but it makes me hope that the eternal hell they believe in exists and they'll get their due 'rewards'.

I'll contribute a bit on your PayPal, good luck fighting the good fight, we're rooting for you and the victims!

Thanks a lot.

Which part of the job is your favorite?

The rescue mission. Rescuing the children, especially when they are in great danger.

Has this belief always existed or is it a newer phenomenon. If it is newer then what is the main reason/driver?

Witchcraft belief generally had existed with the elderly people being the victims, especially women but children were never affected in any shape or form. It was in 1999 that a self acclaimed lady apostle who is doubles as a Nollywood star in partnership with her church churned out home-made videos films that were laced with superstitious elements, portraying children as witches and demons that people started suspecting children. Then by 2000, vulnerable children from dysfunctional families were thrown into the streets with reckless abandon. Movie link: https://youtu.be/mQlLoG4b7MM
She also wrote many books portraying children as wicked demons which she made millions out of it.

Thank you for your amazing work and advocacy.

How best could we help support your mission?

Our main need is to house the overwhelming number of children on the streets, supporting the ones already rescued with bunk beds/ mattresses, completing the new girls hostel, their education and healthcare. You can support by raising awareness, fundraising, grant writing and volunteering.

I’ve donated as monthly donor. Would be interested in more information on how best to volunteer for grant writing

Thanks a lot for being a monthly donor. That gives us assurance that the children have something coming every month. You can always reach us anytime. Our emails are [email protected] and [email protected]

How do you feel that religion has played a role in the mistreatment of these children? How do you plan to combat the ignorance of the adults using superstition to abuse a child? Do you feel superstition and religion go hand and hand?

Religion is the central cause of the problem, apart from poverty. The persistent claims of having the power of discernment and deliverance by the so called prophets and evangelical pastors as well well as their constant mention of witchcraft and demons in their preaching create fears in the minds of their congregants or listeners. Some of them deliberately do fake deliverance and miracles to boost their claims and be seen to be very powerful spiritually. Most stigmatization are done in the church or prayers houses. The plan to combat superstition is ongoing albeit, in a slow process due largely to lack of funding. Religion spread superstition like wildfire. And religion is one of the instruments that can also be used to reverse the situation.

Religion and poverty have the same effects here in the US. Thank you for educating the public on science, from another comment, and for giving a human being another chance. You're one of the good ones.

Thanks a lot. And in the US, the laws are implemented to the letter. Here, the reverse is the case

I’m sorry Sam but this is not true.

Children a molested and abused in the US all the time with no recourse.

I may not have a good answer for you because facts like this are always stunning. Some news links here will save the time:

https://www.kanyidaily.com/2020/03/locked-up-in-toilet-tortured-and-starved-by-her-mother-after-prophet-claimed-she-was-possessed.html

Or https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2021/2/i-was-discriminated-against-abused-slept-in-abandoned-buildings-and-bush-13-year-old-girl-rescued-in-akwa-ibom-shares-her-ordeal.html

What makes these people believe that children are witches?

I get adults behaving in weird ways, but children? I dont really understand how that happens.

Follow up question: how are those kids being treated?

Superstition is rife here coupled with poverty and the religious brainwashing by prophets and pastors. Don’t get me wrong, I’m religious person but not a fantastic. Some of the children are accused out of hatred by the new spouse of their single parent after divorce and remarriage. The children are badly treated once they are stigmatized as witches or wizards. Nobody wants to get close to them. They’re denounced and ostracized and being tortured in the prayer houses. Some are lucky to be alive and a lot could not make it alive.

Have you ever been attacked while trying to rescue one of the children?

I have been attacked severally. The first one was the day more than 30 children and about 30 adults were bundled into the village hall and tortured. I was the only one thought differently and was trying to convince others to help me appeal to the witch hunters’ senses. More the eight people were killed that night and I helped stop the killing of others. In another occasion, the woman believed to be the main initiator of child witch belief sent hoodlums accompanied by off duty police men came to my house and tried to kidnap me. I barricaded myself in my room then escaped through the roof.

That's horrific! You are an amazing individual!

Thanks a good deal

You are insanely brave and a blessing to this world and those people.

Thanks a lot. I feel humble and honored.

Seriously. You should be so proud, and if you ever have the time please write your story. It would inspire so many people.

Thanks a lot

You are a true superhero man, marvel should be making a movie about you. I hope you are writing down your experiences because it will make an incredible book. Also your English is really easy to understand.

Do you need help there ? Do you have a PayPal or bank account we could make a donation to?

Thanks. We have a PayPal on our website: www.CRARN.net

Holy crap. When something this scary and traumatic happens, how do you recover? How do you keep going? Do you have to go into hiding at all afterwards?

You are an incredible person!

Going into hiding is the best way to go and avoiding public gatherings.

This is inconsequential compared to the good you do through your actions, but thanks for teaching me the word "severally."

Stay safe my brother.

Many thanks

You are a hero! Thank you for all that you do!

My humble pleasure

Do you ever help adults who are rejected or tortured?

Yes. I started the fight in 2020 rescuing adults and children trapped in the vicious cycle of superstition and witch killing. It’s was in 2003 that I started working with children. Yet, any adult that’s attacked curries our help and support even now. A link example is here:

https://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2017/02/woman-and-her-niece-accused-of-being.html?m=1

How can we outside of Nigeria help your organization’s mission beyond donation efforts?

Actually, more than most people think. There's a lot to organize outside of the CRARN center, and it's really helpful to contribute from abroad. So we can move faster forward or test/prepare/advance new ideas.
A few hours a week on the side can make a difference, especially if you are particularly good in one area. Be it photo editing, writing/upgrading texts, and much more.
So the best thing is just to reach out to me or crarn's email, telling your strengths and the realistic available time per week and we will guide from there.
([email protected])

I want to contribute to the cause with time and effort. How much extra risk would I be taking if I were to go abroad and reside there for some time?

But also help from abroad is possible, because there are many small tasks. From researching topics, to writing texts, to outreach, etc.
Even if it's only 5h+ per week, that could take a load off our shoulders. Feel free to contact me. I'm thankful for every help.

We don’t have security challenges at the moment in the area. This is the South South of Nigeria. But you will still have to keep our advice on your movements. Security issue was way too bad in 2010 to 2015 because of political interest but with the new governor, that’s since gone with the wind.

Is anyone doing any work to improve awareness of what's traumatic and the impacts that can have on children's mental health?

I imagine some of those children have been so neglected and mistreated they have dissociative symptoms and present with inconsistent personalities, which in many cultures like this can be perceived as possession, leading to reinforcement of the stigma that they're witch children.

Those that get exorcisms done are probably the most commonly DID children coming out of this, and they need support and psychological help.

Quite a few hands are doing enlightenment and given that the belief is widespread it needs a lot of people or groups and the resources to tackle the problem through awareness campaigns. You are right DID is one of the common syndromes associated with some of the children as well clear case of mental retardation

Do people just automatically believe any accusation of witchcraft?

Accusations of witchcraft are easily believed, especially when they come from the prophets and other evangelical preachers. There’re a very few people that can resist such denunciation of a child as a witch. Some times when parents suspect their children basically due to strange behavior, like stubbornness, enuresis, epilepsy, truancy, hyper intelligent, dullness, waywardness or withdrawal syndrome. They see them as potential witches and take them for screening in the church or prayer houses and for subsequent exorcism.

What exactly is a witch child? Also, how do you deal with people who agree and side with this abusive practice?

A child is said to be a ‘witch’ child when a pastor or prophet, even the parents labeled him or her as such either in churches, prayer houses or at home. Such child is made to pass through violent exorcism, various kinds of abuses, including torture, starvation, neglect, and drops out of school. She becomes a pariah child and finally force out of the house and becomes a street child.

Thank you for your work. I wish it wasn't necessary to protect these children but I'm glad there is good out there to help.

Is it just a small group of witch hunters or is the belief more widespread? Are these children's families participating in hunts against them?

The belief is widespread, so is the abuse and witch-hunt. The families are potential backups of the witch-hunting. Once the child is labeled a witch in the church or prayer house, the family takes up from there and the horrendous abuse and torture begin.

Those pictures are horrific. The world makes me despair. You’re such an amazing person you can know this and still have energy to fight and make a difference.

Does your organization have any resources with adoption agencies to rescue these children permanently?

Sadly our state has very stringent laws on adoption. That’s very frustrating. We are also trying to make the state change its policy.

Would it be helpful or not helpful for these children who can't go home to be adopted to other areas without this custom?

I know that normally it's best for kids to be reunited with family or adopted in the same general culture, but is this an exception to that?

I'm just curious what happens to these kids after they find their way to rescue.

Adoption here is a nightmare due to the government stringent regulations. It’s something we have tried but didn’t succeed. We are trying to ask the government to change the policy for good.

Is your job dangerous at all?

To me personally, yes. Because the witch-hunters believe that once they take me out of the equation, the campaigns end

Thank you for doing what you do. In what ways do they torture the children?

Once a child is branded as a witch, the child is hated and dreaded by almost everybody including the family. He is seen as the cause of every misfortune in the family. He/she is kept perpetually isolation and in the prayer house for starvation (they called it fasting). He is denied access to the room, he doesn’t associate with other children. He is made to pass through violent exorcism, beaten with horse whips, wire. Could be bathed with hot oil or water, locked up in the dark room or toilet for months even with little or no food. They are times they’re forced to drink their urine and eat their faeces. Some of them are hung up the roof with their heads dangling downward while being violently whipped. Some are made to drink poisonous leaves or seeds (called ‘eseri’ or poisonous Calabar beans) which kills almost instantly, some are taken to the forest and never return, burned or buried alive. Some get hot pokers pierced into their anus while they gorge blood and die. Whereas some are thrown into the river (see BBC news report on this http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7764575.stm ) theses are just a tip of the iceberg.

Good lord, does the government do anything about this or do they believe in witchcraft too?

Of course, government officials are human beings. Politicians are human beings too. So they think the same way as others

You sir, are a hero.

You can help through volunteering your time, contacting some companies and religious organizations for support, fundraiser, creating awareness with friends and organizations, writing grant, getting food, medication and educational materials shipped

Thank you :)

Hi and thank you for your AMA.

I wonder about the impact of the witch hunts on mental health in the general society. Doesn't this affect everyone? Say I have a family member with depression or even schizophrenic symptoms - what do I do? I imagine a society where everyone needs to make sure to be as unsuspicious as possible. Is this how life really is in Nigeria and other areas where this is an issue?

Also: Do you have any information on suicide rates in Nigeria? I wonder how the general population thinks about this issue: Are most people aware that witch hunts are wrong? Is there a majority that fears a radical minority?

Firstly, I’d say even people with dementia are believed to be witches and wizards. It’s a whole bunch nonsense going on. Suicide rate is not really high but I can’t get a good statistic. Except during the pandemic lockdown when it was high due to hunger and starvation.

How much of Nigeria's religiosity do you think is due to outside influences, for example the Catholic Church, but also foreign missionaries and external political pressure or influence? Just a rough estimate is all I am looking for, since I doubt if anyone would have statistics. And how much influence comes from America or Americans?

Generally, Christianity is a foreign religion to Africa but I cannot really say how that has been a problem in recent times. I can only say that syncretism due to Pentecostal movements has really fueled the situation.

What's the hardest thing about combating the Pentecost Movement?

They have marauding thugs that they can send to attack you physically. They have a lot of money and they spend in dragging you to court, wasting your time and resources. We’ve been there before, especially with the woman who is believed to the initiator of child witchcraft phenomenon in Africa

Where does their money come from? You are doing good work.

Parents pay for the exorcisms apparently and it's very expensive, he had said.

We don’t do exorcism. The prayer house and churches do. We don’t even believe that witches exist

We get support from individuals, mostly and a few sympathetic churches. We plant crops in our farm for feeding the children. We run fishery for nutrition. But all that does meet a great part of our needs

Why are they branded as witch children? Is there something unique about them or is it totally random?

They’re mostly vulnerable children from dysfunctional families, single or divorced parents. And exorcism is big business. Parents are charged exorbitantly and even up to a year income. And a lot of them don’t have money for deliverance so they abandon their children on the streets or leave to remain in the prayer house and the prophets got tired of them, forced into the streets. Some ‘witch’ children are used to falsely accuse the elderly people or other children as witches.

Where are the parents of these children branded as "witches"? Don't they defend their own children? Or are the children deemed as "witches" kids who have been abandoned or neglected by their parents?

The children are deemed witches before they are forced to move to the streets if not secretly killed. The parents are brainwashed to believe their children are witches. We live in a very ignorant society where poverty is literally walking and the religious preachers are capitalizing on the ignorance of the parents to hoodwink and defraud them.

How can I help?

You can help through volunteering your time, contacting some companies and religious organizations for support, fundraiser, creating awareness with friends and organizations, writing grant, getting food, medication and educational materials shipped You reach us for discussion via email [email protected]

What in the fuck??

Thank you for sticking up for the kids and giving them somewhere safe to go. I hope they can find a way to lead normal lives afterwards.

Thanks a lot. With concerted efforts they can attain a lot

Why people still believe in witchcraft? It's more like my concern, how hard would to be proof them that magic doesn't exist?

Ours is a deeply religious, ingrained society and ignorance as well poverty combined together to fuel the dangerous phenomenon

From your comments and your post, it seems like poverty is a contributing factor to this phenomenon. Are there any poverty alleviation efforts underway that could help with this issue?

What is the COVID situation in your area, have there been a lot of cases? How has COVID impacted the child witch abuse and ability to do your work? Does your area have access to vaccines?

Yes, poverty is really the boiling factor. There’s absolutely nothing like poverty alleviation effort by any government agency. Due to the weather or climate, Covid19 is not a big issue. Through it has really affected the traveling big shots in the area, but it’s a minimal issue. Yet the politicians have over politicized it to make their gains. Yet during the lockdown we’re badly impacted and not even a single government agency visited. But that was not uncommon.

What is the most ideal outcome that you've had for your work? What's been the worse outcome that you've seen?

Most ideal outcome: Seeing children being cherished and loved again by their families after reunification, seeing ‘witch’ stigmatized children graduating from the universities and colleges and some who have become lawyers, pharmacists, teachers and engineers. Worst outcome: Seeing myself and family being under siege by unknown gunmen, finding myself hiding in the bush or going underground after the then state government declared me wanted due to the honest CNN Special report, seeing myself being charged in court and changed from a star witness to a co-accused in court after I petitioned a self proclaimed Bishop who claimed to have killed more than 110 witch children but since he had political connections, they wanted him free yet incarcerated me. See some news link to this effect:

http://saharareporters.com/2011/01/11/akpabio-arraigns-ikpe-itauma-child-rights-activist-over-witchcraft-accusations

Or

http://saharareporters.com/2010/09/12/akpabio’s-gunmen-invade-stigmatized-children’s-home-eket

1. Can a STEM (science technology engineering math) program be introduced in school there so the next generation and further down isn't so supernatural driven?

2. Can those children be adopted by Americans and others to remove them from that environment?

Yes, STEM can be introduced. Adoption: this is very difficult

Was checking your profile and now I gotta ask... Favourite shark and why?

I don’t really have a very strong knowledge about how to use Reddit. I’m trying to learn.

Would you say that Christian missionaries coming to Nigeria have exacerbated this problem?

Christian missionaries from America are not to blame here. It’s the Pentecost movement in Nigeria that created the child witch phenomenon.

Can you say more about the Pentecost movement? What is it, how it started, etc?

It is the new fundamentalist churches that are springing up here and there claiming to spread gospel of Jesus but with fanatical methods of preaching. They spread fear and superstition like wildfire. They are the architects of modern witch-hunt in Africa.

Thank you for your explanation

My very pleasure

Is this from a Christian beliefe system and if so are they still using the Malleus Maleficarum in this day and age?

No, that’s not really applicable here, but pretty similar

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I'm from Massachusetts and this particular behavior of "othering" people in one's own community has always interested me, especially when superstition is involved.

Yeah! I read much about the Salem witch hunt. We always make references to the Salem case in our campaigns

Are you folks reading "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller? We studied that allot in school. Technically it's meant to draw parallels to the red scare however functionally it's an interesting peice about the event.

I don’t think we have that here. But that’s something I’d like read too

Definately give it a look, it could be a useful tool for you folks. Happy anti-hunting my friend, keep fighting the good fight!

Thanks a lot

What proof do you have that you rescue children?

You can check on our website: www.CRARN.net or our Facebook page @CRARN just search search for CRARN on the web. This CNN news link will save time https://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/25/nigeria.child.witches/index.html

Do you ever encounter people who are practicing witches who are being threatened? What happens to those people?

First of all, I don’t believe that witchcraft exists. But I have seen people who are wrongly accused and tortured and even killed. What we do is trying to rescue them immediately or call in the security agency to come to their rescue when are there at the scenes