The Child’s Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) has rescued a 13-year-old girl identified as Mercy Effiong, who was locked up and tortured by her mother over alleged witchcraft and demonic possession in Oron, Akwa Ibom State.
According to CRARN, the wicked mother maltreated, tortured and locked up her child in a dark toilet for years after their church prophet prophesied that the girl is possessed with witchcraft powers.
Mercy was starved and deprived of foods for many years that she ended up eating her own faeces at some points in the isolated toilet in order to survive.
Due to lack of nutrition, Mercy suffered from malnutrition and was badly emaciated before being rescued by the the child right and rehabilitation network CRARN.
Sharing the photos of the poor girl on its Facebook page, CRARN wrote:
“This is Mercy Effiong, a 13 years old girl who was locked up in a toilet and a dark, isolated room for years before she was rescued to the CRARN Children Centre, Eket, Nigeria.
“The mother tortured and neglected her as results of a spurious claim by her church prophet that she was possessed by demon. She was deprived of foods and hardly given the needed nutrition to survive. She ended up eating her own faeces at some points to survive.
“Consequent upon this, Mercy suffered from malnutrition and became badly emaciated and almost died before her rescue.
“The cruel manner which children like this are treated is unheard of, unimaginable and pathetic.
“Mercy is from Oron, Akwa Ibom State, the epicenter of children stigmatization. She’s one of few lucky children who have survived this horrific treatment.”
ALSO READ: Young Man Flogs His Grandmother Over Alleged Claims By His Pastor That She Is A Witch [Video]