Father nails his children to cross over witchcraft in Akwa Ibom state

A 40-year-old man, John Friday Akpan from Akwa Ibom state is now explaining to the police why he nailed his two children to the cross.

According to reports by the Child’s Right And Rehabilitation Network (CRARN), Akpan who tagged his two children, Elisha Friday Akpan ,12, and Esther Friday Akpan ,6, as witches and wizards heeded the advice of a herbalist, Dr. Okokon in committing the act, the Nigerian Eye reports. Their father accused them of taking his money to ‘their master in the witchcraft coven and as punishment, he decided to nail his two children to a cross, lock them in a dark, thatch hut without food for weeks.

Recounting her ordeal at the hands of her father said: “Our sister, Peace usually bring us water inside the hut when our father and our mother had gone out,” Esther said. “My mother (stepmother), said the woman who used to live near our house in Akpabuyo gave us food and she put something (witchcraft spell) in the food and when we ate it we changed to bird at night and took our fathers money to ‘our master’ in the witchcraft world,” Elisha who is a JSS one student said. According to the kids, Elisha was alleged to have taken 4,000 Naira while Esther took 2,000 Naira.