BY VICTORIA OJEME & CALEB AYANSINA

ABUJA—The Federal Government yesterday issued a stern warning to churches, parents, guardians, as well as individual or corporate body who have taken keen interest in the identification and stigmatization of children as witches or wizards to desist or face the full wrath of the law.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Idris Kuta, who gave the warning at a 3-day technical meeting on stigmatization of children as witches or wizards, said the provision of law on child protection was clear and must be respected by every body.

“The Constitution, Child Rights Act and its adoption, as laws in the states, made all forms of physical violence, abuse or psychological torture against children illegal and a criminal offence.
“Therefore, there should be no claim of lacuna in the application of these laws to prosecute offenders and deter potential perpetrators.

“The judiciary, law enforcement agencies and other child focused agencies and NGOs must assist to challenge this issue of child witch accusation. Enforcement and full application of the provision of the law must be seen to have been done wherever breaches or infringement on the law occur.

“Every society, no matter its cultural, economic or social background, can and must stop violence and abuse against children,” Kuta noted.

However, he decried the way prosecution of  alleged offenders  of child witches and stigmatization were being handled, and commended the step taken so far by Akwa Ibom State on the child witch problem.

He added that it was so unfortunate that the institutions that should champion the course of child’s protection were now in the fore-front of child witch accusation.