Witchcraft Hysteria in Nigeria Highlighted

London Observer notes role of film director/evangelist

Bad news from Nigeria, via This Day:

Two women have allegedly been killed by angry youths in Warri, after they were reportedly accused of causing the death of a two- year old girl through witchcraft…A large and wild mob of angry youths stormed homes of the two women, dragged them out and later beat them to death. One of the women, who eked out a living from fishing, reportedly bled to death, after being stabbed in the breast, while the second was burnt alive.

This comes six months after three women were burned to death in Uganda for the same reason, and a couple of weeks after the UK Observer ran a story – and an accompanying video piece – on the rising number of Nigerian children being abused by relatives who have come to believe that their children are witches:

In a maddened state of terror, parents and whole villages turn on the child. They are burnt, poisoned, slashed, chained to trees, buried alive or simply beaten and chased off into the bush…This is becoming commonplace.

The author of the story, Tracey McVeigh, places the blame for this on “besuited Christian pastors and their hours-long, late-night services”. She also points out that foreign influences have been at work:

…Although old tribal beliefs in witch doctors are not so deeply buried in people’s memories, and although there had been indigenous Christians in Nigeria since the 19th century, it is American and Scottish Pentecostal and evangelical missionaries of the past 50 years who have shaped these fanatical beliefs. Evil spirits, satanic possessions and miracles can be found aplenty in the Bible, references to killing witches turn up in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Galatians, and literal interpretation of scriptures is a popular crowd-pleaser.

This is something I’ve blogged on previously. The abuse of children accused of witchcraft is also an alarming development in Congo, where teachings hysteria about witchcraft has been particularly promoted by a mega-church called Combat Spirtuel. I noted that the leaders of this church enjoy links with an American neo-Pentecostal leader who in turn has a position on an “Apostolic Council” of prominent neo-Pentecostal figures.

McVeigh tells us that many people blame the witch-hysteria in Nigeria on the Liberty Gospel Church, which has 60 branches across the Niger Delta and beyond (including, apparently, Rome):

It was started by a local woman, mother-of-two Helen Ukpabio, whose luxurious house and expensive white Humvee are much admired in the city of Calabar where she now lives. Many people in this area credit the popular evangelical DVDs she produces and stars in with helping to spread the child witch belief.

Ukpabio has a website which lists numerous videos and books. These include The Coven 1 (“Is a revelation of a typical witchcraft planning, manipulation, monitoring and eventual execution of their evil devices against the unsuspecting victim”); Married to a Witch; and Unveiling the Mysteries of Witchcraft:

There is hardly any family without witchcraft possession or attack with many held in deep fear of witchcraft operations. This book is extremely unique as nothing in it is extracted from any other source but all information is based on God’s dealing with his servant, Evang. (Mrs.) Helen Ukpabio.

One of her films to have received some exposure in the West is End of the Wicked; one review can be seen here:

One of the most popular Nigerian directors is Teco Benson, a former civil servant who took to film making in 1996 and has been hugely prolific since, specialising in the sort of melodramatic religious films typified by End of the Wicked: A Witchcraft Movie [1999]. He frequently works with Helen Ukpabio, owner of Liberty Films, itself associated with the Liberty Evangelical Ministry, a woman who has had a hand in a significant number of Nigerian genre films – when she’s not leading crusades against Nigeria’s apparently large population of “witches”.

…End of the Wicked is crude, unpolished, utterly baffling and yet strangely compelling…No two adjacent scenes actually seem to have anything to do with each other…The film’s strangeness just keeps on getting stranger as it progresses – gore fans will be rewarded with a tacky scene in which a child demon forces a victim’s eyes to fall out and just about everyone will do a double take when one of Beelzebub’s female followers suddenly reveals that she has a monstrous penis, given to her by Beelzebub so she can make love with her own daughter-in-law!

The film was featured in the “Compass of Horror” film festival held in Bristol (UK) in November last year, and the evangelist was game enough to take part:

Nothing I have ever seen can compare to End of the Wicked. This subgenre of Nigerian evangelist horror (“Nollywood” if you will) is shot on video and the nearest comparison I can think of would be Borat’s home movies…As the panel discussion would later reveal, the notion of family oriented witchcraft is still very much at the heart of Nigeria’s social problems.

…The panel discussion with director Helen Ukpabio and Professor Onookome Okome reveals that over a thousand of these video films are made a month in Nigeria and are spread on videotape as the country has no cinema distribution to speak of. This Nigerian cultural phenomenon outsells Hollywood product several times over in the local market. Mrs Ukpabio also helps put the film in a political context by discussing the very unpredictable nature of government censorship in regards to supposedly state-funded industry. Eye opening is an understatement.

Another Ukpabio movie, The Rapture, was banned by the Nigeria board of film censors for alleged anti-Catholicism.

Ukpabio trained as a nurse before becoming an evangelist, although according to her own account she also managed to fit in an early career as a occultist:

I was initiated into Olumba cult [i.e. The Brotherhood of the Cross and Star] at 14 years of age, I was also betrothed to Lucifer as would be wife. This automatically qualifies me to attend a spiritual school for the Royals. I was trained in concepts of mysticism, occultism, spiritism, Satanism, demonism and general cultism. The idea of developing strategies that will aid in keeping activities of the cult alive and seeing more human registering with the occult kingdom is the number one goal of the occult kingdom.

The practice of witchcraft, necromancy, familiar spirits, and other spiritistic activities in order to multiply them thereby causing confusion multiplying wrong altars are Satan’s strategy to help water down the true churches are some of their activities…

Perhaps Ukpabio may like to reflect on whether a hysteria which is claiming lives and ruining the lives of children might also be “Satan’s strategy to help water down the true churches”. I doubt that Ukpabio approves of what is happening to “child-witches”, and I’m sure she would be appalled by the murders of the two women in Warri – but after instilling so much fear over occultic conspiracies, might she not think it would be a good idea to moderate her message? And might not some of the big-name Western evangelists who regularly visit Africa and purport to demonstrate the reality of spiritual forces – in particular Reinhard Bonnke and Benny Hinn – also consider having either a quiet word or making a public statement on a problem that now requires urgent attention?

(Hat tip: Bulldada Newsblog)

108 Responses

  1. I have just taken pains to read your confusion which u conly try to put togetherto deceive the world. It is so surprising to see how you spend to talk about what you dont know and to talk against a woman who is alive and who has churches all over Nigeria without attempting to visit her or to attend herr campaigns on the matter of witchcraft. You also say you’ve never seen a fillm so brutal in nature as end of the wicked, you are the number 1 liar in the world. The end of the wicked is a christian movie that has brought a lot of souls to christ. At least, this is a consolatio. that the film achieves its purpose. You also said Helen Ukpabio should be held accountable to two women who were killed in Warri on account of witchcraft. I am sure you dont know nigeria well because it takes a foolish person like you to talk about what is happening in Liverpool just because it is in Great Britain and force it to be event happening in Manchester. That is how deceitful you are. Helen Ukpabio does not reside in Warri neither does she have any relation in Warri. How come that pictures and video clips are forced on a woman who leaves many miles and states away from Warri. That is what God will use to judge you. Now tracey McVeigh who is your inspirator would have told you she has no business leaving Great Britain with all the load of problems kids have ranging from drug abuse, irrational killings, stabbing to death and all manners of violence to HOLY AFRICA in search of nothing. Helen ukpabio is a woman of God, called among her people with defined giftings and directions. She has delivered over 40,000 self confessed witches who go about looking for her for help. This she does without collecting a dime from anybody. Your using videoclips from Warri to talk about a woman who has no connection to the clios and none of those people talking in the clips have mentioned her nam eor church is what God would judge you for. The question i have for you is Helen Ukapbio the only film producer that has done a film on witchcraft using children to act? Harry potter books and films as horrorful and horrible as they are with many children doing many things, why has it not generated news? yet you all cue to buy horror with children acting and you keep your mout shut. The wizard of Oz is Helen Ukpabio’s film?. hell raiser parts 1-6 are they Helen Ukpabio’s films? are they even produced in Africa? The Exorcist is it a Nollywood film?. i want to advise I believe truly you need God in your life, God is missing in your life just like God is missing in Great Britain and the entire United Kingdom. I was expecting to see in the videoclips Helen ukpabio maltreating children who are witches or attacking them violently but i have not seen. What is your gain in this blackmail. you claim you attended the Bristol film festival of 2006 why did you not ask her directly during the question time which was prolonged on such abuses on children. You saw a murderer of children and you let her go? not even when question time was given? you must be a coward. You talked about Helen when she was 14 years if i may ask you how old is she now? You said she is a mother of two, are u sure?. I have no time to waste on cyber murderers like you but i hand you over to god who will judge. As for Helen Ukpabio, she will do her work saving souls, delivering souls and bringing about healings. Im also using this medium to invite you to a program that is coming up in the Liberty Gospel church from the 18th-24th of August 2008 that would be organised by helen Ukpabio titled DEFEATING THE POWERS OF WITCHCRAFT, It is good to report what you’ve seen and to show correct clips to the world, instead of superimposing clips which has nothin to do with the church or Helen Ukpabio. In conclusion dont you ever label somebody what the person is not. GOD BLESS YOU……

    • Are you out of your mind? What that woman is doing is promoting the brutal murder, torture and exculsion of inocent children it is not the work of any repected God.

    • There are no such thing as witches or witchcraft, only fear, ingrorance and people who are willing to exploit those things to their own ends. Such beliefs belong in the dark ages. Innocent people and children are being murdered because of fear and superstition drummed up by people like Helen Ukpabio and some call her a woman of God? How? In a enviroment where people are willing to brutally murder even a child if they ‘suspect’ them of ‘witch craft’ how can Ukpabio be called a woman of God when she states that ‘If a child under the age of two screams in the night, cries and is always feverish with deteriorating health he or she is a servant of Satan.’

      What child under the age of two doesn’t scream in the night, eh? Feverish? Deteriorating health? Erm…no it can’t possibly be that that child is suffering from an illness, no that never happens…the kid must be a servant of Satan. And then of course the child is abandoned or murdered. Wow, some message from a woman of God…I mean here is a thought: Helen Ukpabio might be a witch, would she not be best placed to be a witch? I mean no one would suspect her, would they, and would that not be what and evil coniving witch would plan? If I was an evil witch I would myself right at the head of the witch hunt. Of course thats only a thought if you believe in these things…

      I’m not here just to attack one woman personally, I’m here to express my horror, anger and disgust that innocent adults and children are being murdered horribly for being ‘witches’. If they are so dangerous, so evil, then surely it would take more than a mob of people to kill them? Would they not use their evil powers to defend themselves, violently? How would ordinary people be able to defeat them?

      So often it seems there is always ‘proof’ that these people have been ‘witches’. But proof is only as good as what you take proof to be. Funny just how little proof is required, things ranging from a neighbor having a dream that a person was a witch, or a simple accusation. Non of which is actual proof that can be validated. Just because you have a sore leg doesn’t mean you have been bewitched, it means you have something wrong wrong with your leg. Caused by infection, injury or a prolonged medical condition.

      Look it at it from another angle, if there was such a thing as witches and witch craft, and all of them were killed and wiped out so there were no more ever, would people never become sick? Would things never, ever go wrong in peoples lives? The answer is yes people would still get sick and yes things would still go wrong. Know why? Because there is no such thing as witchcraft or witches. These things happen in life through rational and explainable causes.

      If people are moronic and cowardly enough to believe in such nosensensical, primitive and backward ideas and allow them to motivate them to commit acts of barbarity,then one day they might just find themselves the victims of such idiocy. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

      I hope the light of reason shines like a beacon to those who are blinded by fear and superstition. Lives depend on it.

  2. Hello Richard, I am happy to read that you have been following up events on Helen Ukpabio. Thank you for that. I have to point out a few things to you. The woman in question is a woman of God, a vessel in God’s hand, called and ordained by God with clear manifestations of spiritual giftings, a woman of holiness, teaching and preaching the truth with specific ministry to deliver the oppressed from satanic bondages. I have never seen Helen Ukpabio carrying out any campaign against child-witch for the past fifteen years of her ministry. It appears you know so much about her but failed to have the map of Nigeria correctly. What do you think Nigeria is? a nation of one state?, how would you feel if somebody is talking about what happened in Frankfurt as if it happened in Berlin?. Does it make the person intelligent or a fool? Two women you claimed were killed in warri was it as a result of Helen’s message or on account of her labelling the women witches that they were killed? If not your subtle nature in writing such damages against a woman of God placed you on the very line of the very thing you are condemning Helen for. You are wicked, crooked, crafty, poisonous, and dangerous to women in general. Supposing on account of reading your work, Helen is dragged out and murdered just like those women in Warri according to you, what do you think would have made you different from her? Dear Richard, have you ever sat under Helen’s teachings? She holds crusades in Nigeria every other week for the past fifteen years, going by your story and analysis; she would have killed hundreds of thousands of children and women by now. You are a stupid man that is poise to deceive the world just because you hate God and the message of righteousness. The real truth is you all are forming NGO’s on child rescue in order to make so much money from CAR2 and from the British Government. “The End of the Wicked” is not against children, and it is not a movie meant to maltreat children, neither was any of such scene seen. Why do you settle down on child-witch and not on the main story line? The film Rapture you claimed was banned by the censor board was the story line on child hunt? If not what connection does it have with your subject matter but just to show your in-depth hatred for God’s vessel, you connected it so as to disgrace her and make your money and gain cheap popularity. Richard are you married? Supposing a man writes against your wife and ninety percent of the story are fabricated lies, how would feel? This is the same way Helen’s husband a PhD holder in petroleum geochemistry working with Shell oil Nigeria, a former university Don feels. God would judge you for all your lies. IN JESUS NAME (THAT YOU HATE) AMEN…..

  3. Good grief. If either of you read what I wrote properly, you’ll see that I never accused Ukpabio of labelling the women in Warri of anything. In fact, I even wrote:

    I doubt that Ukpabio approves of what is happening to “child-witches”, and I’m sure she would be appalled by the murders of the two women in Warri

    Did you read that?

    Ukpabio, however, did write:

    There is hardly any family without witchcraft possession or attack with many held in deep fear of witchcraft operations.

    It seems to me that this kind of thing promotes an unreasonable fear of witchcraft, and this is not helpful in combating the real problem of people across Africa being accused of being witches. That does not mean that I “hate God” or that I am “wicked, crooked, crafty, poisonous, and dangerous to women in general”.

  4. Richard
    May I help to complete your quotation in reference to what you wrote: ” Perhaps Ukpabio may like to reflect on whether a hysteria which is claiming lives and ruining the lives of children might also be “Satan’s strategy to help water down the true churches”. I doubt that Ukpabio approves of what is happening to “child-witches”, and I’m sure she would be appalled by the murders of the two women in Warri – but after INSTILLING SO MUCH FEAR over occultic conspiracies, MIGHT SHE NOT THINK it would be a good idea to MODERATE HER MESSAGE?” This is to inform you that you know you cannot defend what you are insinuating. Your interest is in the money you make out of NGO and your cliques the likes of Tracey Mcveigh, Kelli Stowe…Etc…. I am helen Ukpabio’s son and she has followers all over Nigeria she has a standard church that does not use additives in worship, nor does she encourage the use of articles in worship. She preaches the word of God and ministers to people wihout even touching them because they are always too many. Adult’s witches, male and females come to her confessing that they are witches and wizards. Begging her, to please deliver them. Parents bring their self confessed witchcraft children begging her to deliver them. The counselling sessions are free a thing you can never see in UK or Europe. Deliverance is completely free without even collecting offering during such deliverance sessions. That Tracy Mcveigh calls her a local woman is the reason behind the huge lies of reports against her. I want to advise you don’t act on speculations, when you have a story you understand very well, don’t distort that story just because some other person has written or said ugly things about the person. If I take your article to our churches in Nigeria, you may have over 20,000 people replying you. Why? Because majority of them were witches and were set free by the power of God while the rest were victims of the powers of witchcraft and ran to Jesus and were set free. “Him that feels it knows it”. What is my mother’s crime? To minister to these people because she is called to do so by God. If my mother has a jeep, and a beautiful house, why ascribe it to very wretched people who are invaded by powers of darkness seeking for deliverance and salvation? For your information those who come with witchcraft matters are always very sickly, poor, wretched and people that cannot sustain themselves. Quite often my mother spends her money to feed them. Many children have been abandoned in the church, without her knowing the parents she takes them up trains them and makes the church to care for them without attracting the press. She has a child rescue foundation which she does under the church to help restore wandering children who come to her back to their parents. In 2004, she shot a film on Child rescue using her three children to star. You said nothing about that film. In the year 2002 she shot a film titled “Kids are angry” you refused to analyse these films so that you can flow with likes of Kelli and Tracey. She has many films why talk about just three. I leave you to your conscience. You can visit http://www.helen-ukpabio.com , and http://www.libertyfoundationgospelministries.org THANK YOU

  5. Parents bring their self confessed witchcraft children begging her to deliver them…
    So she is promoting belief in child witches, then. Why doesn’t she just tell the parents that the story is nonsense, and that children have no witchcraft power?

  6. Richard, I am the CEO of the prestigious KINGS VIEW PUBLISHING HOUSE in Nigeria. I miraculously came across your comments on Evang. Helen Ukpabio and I’m so surprised at the amount of time you spend in displaying foolishness at your age. I have carefully read your reply to Ukpabio’s children and I’m shocked your reasoning is thousands of times below that of the kids.

    I don’t only hear about Helen, but I’ve been priviledged to sit under her soul-inspiring teachings several times. She is one minister of the gospel that thousands of ministers within and outside Nigeria seek to be close to, because of her discipline and stand for the truth.

    What you know about Helen is littler than a little about her. Imagine that you studied in the U.S about the area I live in Ikot Ekpene Nigeria, do you think you’d know more about the area than I do? Your cutting remarks on Helen judged from what you read, hear, and watch from her movies shows that you should return to school to be well taught.

    In your letter, I read something like, “So she is promoting belief in child witches, then. Why doesn’t she just tell the parents that the story is nonsense, and that children have no witchcraft power?” Richard, who told you that children have no witchcraft power? are you aware that a professor in medical science is an illiterate in the deep things of History and International Relations? Again, you still display estreem foolishness at an adult age!

    I have personally come in contact with a child witch in my extended family who publicly made confessions on her witchcraft involvements and why the mother was getting sick to death and equally explained how the mother could be set free. When the conditions she gave were met, the mother was rescued. I was not told. I was there!

    You are trying to delve into what you do not know, so that you will recieve unnecessary applause. Even when I know that children can be witches, I have never heard that Helen ever labelled a child ‘witch’. I have, on the other hand, heard of several children who were labelled witches by their own parents, and Helen reprimanded the parents for labelling the children witches just because they were stubborn at home. This is in fact, a very little I can tell you about Helen as a publisher. I’ll advice you read our KINGS VIEW WORLD CHANGERS magazine that carried the heading, WHO IS THIS HELEN UKPABIO?

    Now, you see Richard, only SMALL and FOOLISH minds spend enormous amount of their time talking about what they don’t know about others. But Richie dear, why don’t you grow up? I’d like to talk to you when you do. Ordinarily, I don’t spend prescious time talking with unreasonable minds. Please, on a serious note, GROW UP!

  7. I have personally come in contact with a child witch in my extended family who publicly made confessions on her witchcraft involvements and why the mother was getting sick to death and equally explained how the mother could be set free. When the conditions she gave were met, the mother was rescued. I was not told. I was there!

    Of course a child will “confess” to being a witch if prompted to do so by the adults around. How exactly did the child learn to be a witch? Was your sick relative getting any other medical care? And how come only African children become witches? It never happens in Japan, or the UK (besides within immigrant communities), or anywhere else that I can think of.

    • Thank you for taking the fight to these seriously sick people. Sadly your logic and intellect are lost on them.

      I have only recently come across this problem and am totally at a loss to see how one can help remove this evil from the world.

      Normally I am an optimist but today I feel like weeping.

  8. […] Posted on November 4, 2008 by Richard Bartholomew Always nice to get a bit of feedback: I have just taken pains to read your confusion which u conly try to put togetherto deceive the […]

  9. […] blogged on Ukpabio last year, and just a few days ago I noted the abusive comments I had received from her followers, including […]

  10. PC as such a tacit acceptance of culturally induced prejudice may be, it doesn’t take a fool to recognise that beliefs that target individuals as Witches as responsible for harm in society are themselves based on false-evidence-appearing-real.

    The characterisation of a person (or group of persons – Witches) as evil and responsible for harm, on the basis of belief, constitutes harmful stereotyping. It doesn’t matter that your religion justifies such prejudice – It remains harmful stereotyping and it remains the motivating cause of the child-witch accusations phenomena.

    The fact that millions of Africans still believe that Witches are immoral, dangerous, vengeful and destructive by birth and design, does not make the stereotype a reality – it merely makes the tragic consequences of such culturally and religiously rooted prejudice all the more horrifying.

  11. Libery films are clearly and actively causing/contributing to the insaine notion that childern in Africa are somehow witches?

    Liberty Films should be closed down!!!

    Dispatches – “Saving Africa’s Witch Children”

  12. The name of Helen ukpabio goes well next to names like Hitler, Mugabe, Stalin, and Hussein. Lets draw a line there she will burn in hell anyway.

  13. I am disgusted to read that there are adults and parents out there who claim to be christians who do not question the lunacy of this woman. All you are showing is that a faith that is supposed to guide you to be good in life can also be manipulated by others into whatever they want it to be. In this case the purest of all evil- cult child abuse. To allow someone who calls themselves a servant of God to fill your head with the rubbish that Helen Ukpabio has created has brought her followers further from God than is ever imaginable. She has taken the place of God in the eyes of her followers and has pushed his teachings aside to make room for beliefs that she has personally created- coincidently selling lots of books and films and making a tidy profit in the process. Where in the Bible are her claims supported? Where does it say that any bad that goes around can be acredited to witches?
    Do these people remember their childhood? You learn from what you are shown and also look to your elders for protection. This vulnerability is being exploited in the inocent to the highest degree. Children are really suffering and losing their lives because of the brain- washing this work is doing, and others are growing up to believe that any bad that happens to them in their lives can be blamed on a young defenceless child! The vicious circle is further fuelled as crimes of all degrees, by any nature of villain can too be blamed onto the same innocent child!! Surely it can be seen that this situation is allowing the evil that some adults are conciously capable of to thrive?
    Further to this other ‘prophets’ are profiting on the back of this poison, by scaring people into believing their evil continuations of these child witch myths- so that their own services are needed. Is there no coincidence that they are making money by having more people at their church services? Surely there comes a time when peolpe need to take a stand and realise that bad things happen to everyone at some point in their lives and they do not become any easier to deal with by inflicting blame with dangerous outcomes onto others.

  14. I have never witnessed such stupidity and ignorance in my life as that I have just seen on Dispatches tonight. How can these people be so weak minded to believe that God, Jesus Christ, Christianity,condones such acts of hate and cruelty to an innocent child. What is going on with you people? Why is it only poor african communites that have these problems. I for one will do everything I can to help the suffering of these childern and help them escape the clutchs of you uneducated animal “preacher”. You are truly evil people who will rot in hell!

  15. It is amazing that people in this time and age think like this. It is almost as if some people have been in a deep slumber in a cave somewhere far away and do not know this is the 21st century, believe in witchcraft? humbug, But, it is clearly ignorance on a very grand scale – Education replaces and empty mind with an open mind as they say and to still believe in witchcraft, when the rest of the world is thinking how to make computers run faster is either madness or stupidity of the highest order or both, but definitely not neither.

  16. helen and the rest of her believers need to ask God for forgiveness of sin. they are in no position to treat those children like the way they did, making them believe they are witches, I beleive only a witch can identify a witch. what is wrong with people, that is why the country is not progressing becos of people like helen. she is evil and will pay for all her evil deeds. those innocent children are crying to God for help and to punish those who have brought pain and suffering to their lives. Helen the Lord says its time to stop.

  17. it’s so heart-wrenching how people’s ignorance and stupidity can cause so much suffering for these young vulnerable children. These people simply do not know better.
    i don’t know Helen personally so i just want to ask her and her followers why they aren’t using their influence to denounce the way these children are being treated. They know what is happening as it is quite obvious. Since the Bible teaches love and forgiveness and that you must not harm your fellow man, why are they not teaching this to these people? And what i find most sad is that Jesus says in the bible that the Kingdom of God belongs to the children, yet in this so-called Christianity, the children are being persecuted. Something is not right. surely they must see that!
    i come from a culture where people believe in witchcraft but even then, no one would condone such treatment of children. A truly good person, Christian or not, would simply not allow such persecution of such innocent lives, especially if they were in a position to show people the right way, as Helen and her followers are. If Helen’s husband with his PHd and all her educated followers do not see the harm their films are causing these children, whether intentional or not, and are not using their position in society to help these children, then they should really have another read of their bibles and a good look at themselves. Because it does not matter how many churches you have, how many people you preach to, how many ministers want to be close to you and whatever, if you are preaching the wrong message or are not doing enough to preach the RIGHT message, then you are merely leading all those people astray. And then whether you want to accept it or not, you are responsible for those poor children’s suffering.

  18. The first horrifying minutes of this documentary was enough to demonstrate the absolute wickedness people are prepared to commit against the most vulnerable in our society under the guise of being a good Christian. Niger, please!

    The fact that communities can so easily deflect their problems onto completely innocent children and abuse them in such an appalling way is nothing short of religious-terrorism.

    I was amazed I was able to stay the course and watch this: heartbreaking (abandonment and abuse), funny (Helen’s End of Wicked -v- Harry Potter claim) and inspirational (Gary and CRARN) programme last night.

    Ongoing global injustices and inequalities means there will always be people willing to turn their poverty-stricken communities into personal cash cows.

    Child witches and wizards?! Yes, I was definitely under the spell of lovely five-year -old Mary, whom when asked what she wanted, simple replied: “To go cchool” I hope my small donation helps her achieve her ambitions!

    All the very best of luck Team Stepping Stone!

  19. I was horrified by the programme on Child witches last night and to be honest think it just highlights how primative these societies are. How any grown man can justify what is happening to those children is beyond me. I don’t care what country or culture you are from, surely general common sense/ sanity says what they are doing to these children is wrong. I also think this highlights the danger of religion and the problems it can cause. I can not understand how Helen Ukpabio can be allowed to carry on her preachings, she seemed a completely unreasonable person and definitely not a person of God. What worries me is these cultures are coming into our society in Britain and bringing their beleifs with them.

  20. How dangerous religion is. It robs people of their natural rationality and replaces it with superstition and nonsense. Their brains are rendered incapable of logic. What courageous charity workers we saw on the progamme last night – braving the hatred fuelled machete wielding bullies of the villages. Helen is just another example of another ‘religious’ person who is making a fortune out of the exploitation and suffering of others. I hope that the Nigerian government will do more to stamp out this craziness.

  21. Watching Dispatches lastnight opened my eyes to the horrors going on in some areas of Nigeria. I spend my days working hard, caring for my family and loving every minute. There are hard days, when my 4 year old doesn’t do what i’d like, there are days when I learn news if a relative in hospital, there are days when we have picked up a bug and sit it out. Never would I have thought any human could turn on their own children/family members and commit the abuses I saw on TV. The evilness here lies in the preachers, perpetuating such horrific ordeals. The fear in the eyes of those children. Why do the parents go to such places when they could be faced with someone accusing their child….I could go on.
    MFONIDO UKPABIO,Okpombor, Idongesit Elijah, and others who have spoken on here – where is your response? To be honest your response holds little interest for me. I am more concerned about my own response, which i feel will be significant. And I encourage everyone to help support Stepping Stones Nigeria to work on getting these criminals arrested by their own laws, and to work with victims and their families. My heart is broken for these children, I pray that good will prevail. We should be vigilent about the increase of such practices in the UK, or anywhere.

  22. What a sick and shameless woman this Helen Ukpabio is! Having lived in Rivers State for quite a number of years, I have personnaly come across many children who have been rejected by their community for the simple reason that some uneducated and greedy person (inspired by the pathetic so called teaching of Ukpabio) decided to exploit the situation of great poverty that too many are in suffering of in Nigeria (oil wealth not being redistributed= thanks western companies mainly and corrupted nigerian politicians) and decided to stigmatize some innocent child as witch! Is there anything more cruel and pathetic than to exploit the most vulnerable and innocent parts of our society? It is time that EDUCATION replaced poor beliefs and religious fanatism so that the biggest witch Helen Ukpabio (aka the Queen of Nigerian Scams) be once and for all shutted up. I am working with others to get her indicted by a tribunal and trust me, we will get that done! Thnaks to you all for your contributions on this subject.

  23. The delirious ‘pastors’ are thieves and child abusers. I cannot believe this is allowed to carry on.
    The poor beautiful innocent children are in my thoughts…
    Helen Ukpabio is a WITCH …. why don’t you deal with that ???

  24. I watched dispatches last night and the face of ‘Mary’ still lingers. I was hurt, shocked and angry at how some people can be so blantly wicked and evil, but yet deem themselves christians! Hypocrite is a more realistic term to describe these people, in particular Helen Ukpabio.

    She has obviously gained notoriety off the backs of innocent children, she will also suffer the backlash of her devilish deeds – the law of nature states ‘what goes around, comes back around’. She may preach and decieve the some of the people but she cannot decieve them all of the time. Helen is clearly not educated and very disillusioned in her self gratification, she fails to realise that she is NOT Jesus Christ and niether an agent of God but a wolf dressed in sheeps clothing and consequently she and others like her WILL undoubtedly rot in HELL, here on earth.

    Stepping Stones Nigeria you are blessed in Jesus Almighty name.

  25. So yes, I am another devastated person after watching yesterday’s dispatches. To be honest there always have to be someone like Helen Ukpabio or other similar to her to show evil and immense stupidity exists in this world and also find out there are good people too who will always opose. I am speechless about this whole whichcraft phenomenon. I don’t blame uneducated and simple villagers to follow this insanity and to torture and kill their own children. How they can know they are doing wrong if they were made to believe it’s the right thing to do. People to blame for it are the ones who make them belive in it. It’s high time to get rid of Helen and all others following her for the sake of money and power. It’s time to bring justice and rights for the little ones, innocent, stigmatised and suppressed children of Nigeria.

  26. I am speechless still and deeply upset having watched last nights documentary on the so called “witch chldren” of nigeria. How can a apparantly civilsed country allow the systematic abuse of its children, the haunted look in the faces of those children will stay with me for a long time,along with the image of the little four year old girl running sobbing after her mother who could not take her home for fear of her child being slaughtered . This has to STOP, i intend to write today to the Nigerian politicians whose addresses appear on the Stepping Stones website and express my horror and also try and raise funds for the work this charity is doing with the children in these circumstances

  27. Thanks to Dispatches – these atrocities have reached the worldwide christian community and follow in the footsteps of Stepping Stones Nigeria and to raise awareness and stop the preaching of ex-witch occult turned evangelist self-made film star child abuser Ukpabio, who luckily enough is married to one of the people who is raping the delta of oil while the rest of Nigeria struggle to survive, blaming their problems on witch children – the specialist subject of his wife. What a pair.

  28. God bless all the children and Stepping Stones who help them.

  29. It’s not very often that I cry at documentaries but this was one of the most shocking and upsetting things I have ever seen. I had no idea that this kind of thing was happening in parts of Africa but thanks again to Channel 4, it has opened my eyes and I do admit that sometimes I can be a bit ignorant to world issues.
    All too often religious extremists excuse their appaling behaviour as being part of their religion and ‘the word of God’ and it is just not acceptable.
    I do not know much about the ins and outs of Christianity but i do know that their God teaches people to love and forgive each of their fellow humans and these people are clearly not doing that.Therefore they are without a doubt going straight to Hell. Humans are very powerful animals but can also be quite stupid. This behaviour is how i imagine neanderthols to think and behave. It shows no intelligence, no common sence and no individuality. I just hope that this documentary forces the African government to do something about this terrible culture.

  30. I have to agree with the comments about last nights Dispatches. Thank you to Channel 4 and Stepping Stones for bringing this awful situation to our attention.

    I was horrified and disgusted at what these people are upto. The Pastor that was seemingly ‘proud’ he’d killed 110 people. How is that in anyway, shape or form Christian?!

    I am heartbroken for those children and will keep them in my prayers. I can only hope that my rather insignificant donation will go some way to helping those beautiful children.

    To see Mary smile at the end of the film was amazing.

  31. I would like to start by saying God bless you and your group and those that take care of this wonderful children, I like the approach to wipe out the nonesense bestoled on this children’s life. I cannot bring myself to think that a good and healthy mother would do such a thing to a child, if the father thus it does not bother me so much and I am no sexiest but realistic.
    It sickness me to see this happen in a morden age, I actually thought we Nigerian have moved forward but obviously not all of us and so ashamed that some of those that have commented still call that woman, woman of God this is on speakable, as a woman of God she should go to those villages to re-educate them of the wrong doing they are imposing on this wonderful children, my question is why haven’t they accused a strong male to be wizard why children and women because they are vunarable, this people cannot fight back but a male would obviously fight and if this children are truely witches and wizards all this villages, so called priests and prophets and prohectess / so called agrded bishop should be dead because the combined force of their demon would have killed every single one of them.

    I search through my bible I don’t see where Jesus demanded money for delieverance or to perform healing, I am using this medium to beg the local governor to please do some thing or is he getting powers from this people, I was very disappointed with the reception those poor children had from him waiting in the sun for four good hours and he did not even ask for briefing be4 coming out to meet them only to say are you staying with your parents, I find it rediculous question but at least he made a good promise to give money for accomodation. I will sign up for my donation and I will continue to pray for you and your team for God to help you guys in all your ways and to protect you all from what might be planned for you guys. Richard God will bless you and don’t give up the Holy Spirit is behind you don’t mind all those stupid people who think you are trying to put down there state and the evangelist who wanted to fight and raininng insult on the jornalist is that a woman of God, I think her children are the leaders in witchcraft and she is probaly the queen there God save us from all this demon driven church and saves those that are hold capative.

  32. I thought that in my 63 years of life I had got a general idea of the total possibilities of evil. Last night’s Despatches convinced me that these possibilities are probably unlimited. The saddest thing was that the children had not only suffered physical and mental abuse but had been abandoned by their own parents. There was something different about these children, some additional crushing of the soul that one does not see in films of children in refugee camps even after experiencing the utmost terrors of war.

  33. I like so many others have been totally horrified at the latest dispatches.Never in my life have i felt so disheartened at the state this world is in.Marys face will stick in my mind for a very long time and i know that all money spare that comes my way will be gladly sent on to stepping stones that do so much for these kids and who if it wasnt for them so many more would be suffering and even killed.

  34. I am totally horrified at last nights dispatches.To think that this is going on as we get on with our normal lives is heart renching.If only more could be done for those inecent children,Thank god for stepping stones and what they do.This needs to made more public and put a stop to NOW!!!. And all those responsible for the wide spread belief of child wiches should be shot,and they should never call themseves christians,wat an insult to the rest of us.I hope that this matter is taken seriously by all government needed to put a stop to this human torture,iI could go on and on as could alot of people about this but the last thing i will say is id love to be in the same room as Helen Ukpabio for 2 minuets and give her an insight into the pain she has encouraged to happen to all those inecent children and see how she likes it.I believe that what goes around comes around so all those involved will be punished hopefully sooner rather than later.GOD BLESS ALL THOSE CHILDREN AND LETS ALL HOPE THAT SOMETHING AMAZINGLY GOOD HAPPENS FROM THIS WICKED GOINGS ON.

  35. I am, like many other contributors, shocked by the child abuse brought to light by last night’s Dispatches. What really staggers me is that believing in “Witches” and subsequently pursing these people is about as Christian as believing in the Final Solution. It is written earlier that Ms Ukpabio “has delivered over 40,000 self confessed witches who go about looking for her for help”. “Witches” are not recognized by the Christian Church neither are Martians or Loch Ness Monsters. I think it is time for some Christian organizations of substance or involved and protected their beliefs. The Christian Church is an international body and in our global contemporary society it should start acting like one.

  36. The issues highlighted by the AMAZING charity stepping stones Nigeria, and the DISTURBING dispatches programme last night are completely horrific.
    The way the innocent beatiful children are tortured is abseloutly unbelievable.
    People who believe this behaviour is acceptable and “religious” are clinically physcholgoically disturbed, im a student, so not sure what the correct term would be for such evil poiseness people, however i know for a FACT they will NOT be going to heaven, and if there is a heaven and a hell these disgusting people with 100% be sent straight to hell.
    Witch craft is a prehistoric and totally fictional notion, and it goes to show what can happen to people when they are closed off from any other countries influences.
    I am so disgusted with what i have read and seen I feel like coming straight over to Nigeria and taking ALL the children home with me, however even then im not sure this ABSURD behaviour would stop.
    This is all nonsense and i will be doing EVERYTHING in my power to raise awarness of these evil “religious” people. And put an end to it.
    YOUR BIBLE SAYS MURDER IS WRONG!!!! GOD LOVES EVRYONE!! ONLY GOD CAN GIVE AND TAKE LIFE!!!! HE DOES NOT FORGIVE SINNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  37. “Religion is the opium of the masses”. Karl Marx.
    This quote jumped into my head when I read some of the outstandingly ridiculous comments on this sight, right at the top.
    It amazes me how many christian people (and many different religions) nowadays appear to be to completely and utterly going against what it is their religion teaches them.

    I am agnostic, and proud. Religion seems to be at the root or at least used as the excuse for too many problems.

    however i know, for a fact, NOWHERE in the Bible does it say….

    “Thou shall not kill. (however if you think someone is a Witch its ok)”

    it also does not say ANYWHERE “The children of God may take upon themselves to do Gods duties here on earth, e.g KILLING INNOCENT People”.

    The situation in Nigeria is undescribable, there is no word that can describe how evil it is.
    Yes there is evil all over the world, however this is somthing that has shocked me and my friends and family the most.

    People who claim to be true Christian’s do not murder, or harm others. Infact these people pretending to be religious are infact cold hearted murderers and torturers.

    As soon as awareness about this incredible cause has increased these poor children will be saved, and hopeful the murderers will be shunned from any kind of society.

    Two wrongs do not make a right, however these people will get what they deserve. And incredible people such as Gary will be rewarded.

  38. Hello,
    Wow a lot of responses. First I want to say thank you to CRARN and all those working with children who have been branded witches in Akwa Ibom state. It’s a shame that such old ideas are still in the heads of people. As rightly said, poverty and ignorance is the main cause and some people (even churches) capitalise on that further.

    As per the case with Helen Ukpabio, there are 2 ways I look at it. I cannot blame her for the way people are reacting to her movie (End of the Wicked). I don’t think she meant to create such a furore with her movie. There have been movies just as unsettling such as The Exorcist and Omen. I don’t think anyone should be blaming the producers for whatever happens as a result of the movie. However the lady is completely out of context to publish in a Christian book that the way to recognise a child witch is if they suddenly scream at night. That is very wrong and very misleading and on that note I believe she should be held accountable on her words. I’ll be surprised that an educated person like her would actually write that (such ignorance).

    As a Nigerian myself, I must say what these people need is education and enlightenment. They also need the government involved in these atrocities but unfortunately they are there to sort themselves out.
    However, I can tell you that when I was in school (secondary and tertiary) I met 2 ladies who did confess to being in the occultic world. These confessions did not come as a result of torture or anything of the sort; it was them who made these statements on their own. One girl (secondary school) was just getting tired of her involvement and wanted out and another lady (in University) was already out but used to recount her experience when she was involved. The reason I say this is because people are really involved in such practice which may be difficult for a non-African to understand but that does not give anyone the right to hurt innocent children as what was seen on Dispatchers last night.

    Once again, a very BIG THANK YOU to Stepping Stone and all involved in protecting these children.

  39. I too was terribly saddened when i watched Dispatches last night, that people can do such things to children is a tragedy. However, to an extent, i did agree with one part when Helen Ukpabio made a comment along the lines of a white person should not come and interfere with another countrys ways. That is not to say i agree in any way with the torture these children go through but different countries have different cultures and we should respect that to a degree. There are many people who are fed up with different ways of life creeping into our own culture…. it has to work both ways. However, that said, i do praise stepping stones for taking care of those lovely children and for helping them to see that they are not evil.

  40. i have been trying to leave the message below on helen ukpabio but her server is down. not suprised about that. i hope as many people as possible from all over the world are going to leave a message of disgust for her and her team. i am still appalled by what i saw yesterday and could not believe that can still be happening in this day and age. i cannot believe that these people are so gullible as to believe what these evil so called pastors are saying and doing to their children. they have brought the name of the lord into disrepute and i hope they are held responsible for the torture and inhumane treatemnt these innocent kids have to go through. afterall, the bible clearly says that God does not delight in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should repent and turn from their evil ways and live. why then are they playing God? May the Lord have mercy on them.

    THE MESSAGE
    i saw the programme aired in the uk yesterday about the havoc your ministry is causing in nigeria. it is a shame that you are misrepresenting the gospel of our lord and saviour jesus christ by expoiting innocent children. you should go and read your bible properly and pray to the lord for proper interpretation of the word of the lord. nd as the word of the lord says in matt. 18:5-6, the pains that this children have endured and are still enduring will not go unoticed by heaven. it is cruel and wicked for evil and wicked adults like you to subject this innocent children to this kind of torture. i am deeply ashamed of your work and for bringing the good name of the lord into disrepute. you wonder why so many people are refusing to give their lives in this day and age, it is because of people like you. what a shame. the gospel is all about the love of god to the world and not about judging those who could not help themselves. may the lord hold you fully responsible for the suffering of this innocent children. you yourselves need to repent and i wonder whether you are truly born again. how come you dwell so much on witches and the occult causing the ministry of satan and his demons be magnified in the eyes of the world. YOU HAVE REALLY GONE TOO FAR.

  41. As a Nigerian and a christian I never have I felt so ashamed and confused about my identity as I did on Wednesday night. I forced myself to write this reply because – to an extent – the futility of doing so seemed too great. However, I strongly believe views should be heard and registered. More importantly, everyone who has written on this site should send details of Stepping Stones work and the documentary on Wednesday to as many family and friends as possible. If one good thing comes out of the Dispatches programme it should be that people are now prepared in their own small way to help prevent the crimes against humanity that are being carried out in Nigeria in the name of God.
    The look in those children’s eyes was so harrowing that I don’t think I will ever lose those images from my head.
    Nigeria – take yourself away from these heinous beliefs! If the world is going to judge you it will be for acts like this and not for the good that readily and quietly flows from that great country. Stop giving the world good reasons to uphold primitive stereotypes about the black man. God bless those children.

  42. The Bible, and Jesus in particular has more to say on the subject of FALSE PROPHETS and HYPOCRITES than he had to say on the subject of witchcraft. In fact He said, “suffer the little children to come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of God”. But of these false prophets and hypocrites, the Bible is very clear where they will spend eternity. And it’s not in heaven. In fact Paul said that is someone comes into town claiming to be from God, or that they are a prophet. And they say to set up a great feast to celebrate the Lord. Yet if they eat of that feast, they are “false prophets’ and not to listen to them, nor fear them. It would seem that the Bible is very clear about anyone who would take money for casting out evil spirits. Even the witches aren’t that stupid. They aren’t even that brazen as to charge for their services. They usually only do stuff for “donations”. In fact the very “witch” that they cast out of an area, didn’t force people to come up with money before she would offer her services. She probably simply did it for a loaf of bread or some food so she could eat. So if you ask me, these “false Christians” should not be called Christian at all, but rather termed as CULT LEADERS! And anybody who is doing this for financial gain is simply “fleecing the sheep”, and they are as wolves in sheeps clothing. Jesus himself said “beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits.” So far the fruit of these modern day witch hunters is this; they are doing their work for financial gain. They do not suffer the children to come unto the Lord but rather cast them out. And human beings are being lied to, deceived, and the children are being beaten, abused, and killed.

    All in the name of a Jesus that will one day come and separate these wolves from the sheep. He has said; “Not everyone that says Lord Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesies in your name? And in your name cast out devils? And in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me you that work iniquity.”

  43. First of all I want to say God Bless you for airing this documentary and all those individuals involved with Stepping Stones….thankyou for bringing this to our attention , in spite of the abuse you have suffered as a result. Secondly to the earlier respondant who have questioned how Christians can not act on this…..we will and are! Please please dont do what so many do and think we Christians think this is acceptable. Many evil acts are carried out in the name of Christianity…but just because they claim to be Christians doesnt mean to say they are! Similarly Christianity is NOT the same thing as religeon. Christ is about pure love and, indeed, these people just dont know who theyre messing with. My heart aches for the nigerian respondant who feels shame for his country…I feel the same way that such acts are carried out in the name of Christianty. What rot. Anyway, in answer to the respondant who asked what we Christians are doing about it…my own church has immediately responded to the documentary…but I must challenge all you other non-Christians out there in a similar way that we Christians were challenged …what are YOU going to do about it? This should unite Christians and non- Christians alike. I pray that this agenda remains on peoples hearts and minds and doesnt fade in the hope that someone else will ‘do something’ Thank you for this harrowing programme.

  44. ps. I was not referring to the respondant above, but to one a lot earlier who sadly asked how Christians could allow this

  45. I just feel speechless over that program last night. How can a 3 month old be a witch because of their sister. It’s unbelievable, she was so cute and innocent. I am glad something like this has been brought to light because I never knew anything of this. We just need more people to help. Religion is all about peace and I don’t see how true Christians would be abusing children with no proof of what they have done and torturing a confession out of them. The whole Harry Potter debate that Helen Ukpabio is claiming is hilarious, it is a fictional book which no one takes seriously and is far from religious or brainwashing like her films. I just feel really sorry for the children especially Uma Eke who had a 3-inch nail driven into her skull, who could do that to their own child? Helen may think we are interfering but we are doing what is right and she is welcome to criticise our faults. They are making money out of this cruelty and creating more poverty for the families! I really hope that this practice does not continue as the children have a whole life to fulfil. Thanks for the programme.

  46. Like many others before me, I was torn apart after watching the horror shown on The Dispatches programme.
    I don’t doubt for a moment that witchcraft exists in the world & evil is prevalent in all sections of society to a greater or lesser degree.
    However, the calculated abuse, torture & murder of children & the gleeful satisfaction gained by those claiming to ‘save’ them, is the biggest act of witchcraft I have heard of.
    I literally thank God for the Dispatches team & Aid Workers in bringing to light the atrocities being committed by false prophets. I will do what I can to support longterm, the work of Stepping Stones.

  47. All i can say is that let us not forget to quickly. Even though the response to this programme (Dispatches; child withces) has been overwhelming, in most cases people get stirred up for a moment and then they forget. I pray to God that we remeber these children everyday until there is clear visible change. That we do not stop here with our comments and beliefs and prayers, but that we put our faith to action.

    A big thankyou to STEPPING STONES NIGERIA…you have shown courage and compassion where alot of those ignorant mislead believers have shown hate.

  48. Everything that I want to say has already been said, other than please look to supporting Stepping Stones Nigeria to help work towards ending these shocking and inhumane injustices.

    After watching the documentary, I’ve just cancelled most of my existing charity payments so that I can donate to them instead.

  49. only when religion is exposed for the sham it is will humanists be able to save all children from this awful nonsence lets put religion on trial in a fair and just court of law……and then start behaving like human beings

  50. To Ayo: You say humbug to the notion that people still believe in witchcraft. Perhaps you have not heard of Wicca. It is not witchcraft in the Hollywood hocus-pocus sense or the hexing of neighbors and their crops, but a religion of love for nature and humanity. It is witchcraft and I am a practitioner of it. It is not evil (although like in every religion there are individuals who abuse it to achieve unethical and immoral means). Our religion is a modern rebirth of the ancient pagan fertility religions brought back up from underground when the last witchcraft laws in England and America were repealed. When the teachings are followed the way they are intended to be, as with Christianity, followers live meaningful lives of love and compassion for all. There is no good or bad magick, just good or bad choices. Check out Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner or The Thruth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham if you are interested in learning more. Blessed Be!

  51. To further clarify, I noticed that the wording of the third and fourth sentences is a little confusing. I apologize. What I meant by that is that Wicca is not the witchcraft that the media has portrayed, but is is witchcraft none the less. It teaches to use of positive energy for good, not negative energy for bad. Our main tenant or one command is this :”An it harm none do what thou wilt”. This means you are free to do what you like as long as it does not harm anyone including yourself. Yes we realize that there are some cases were someone will be hurt no matter which action you take. In those instances, it comes down to a judgment call as do most things in life. I hope that helped to clear up any confusion. ^_^

  52. Richard and Mfonido, right at the top seem to obviously be children of this EVIL woman, Helen Ukpabio.

    Why do i suspect she will never point her greedy fingers at her own children to call them witches?

    More intrestingly, i will be interested to know if any person that defends her or her heinous christianity business will still be on her side if their own parents suddenly accused them of witchcraft?

    I was in tears after watching the channel 4 documentary.
    I am a Nigerian who now resides permanently in Britain. I went through a similar up bringing, where my mum often tried to kill me (luckily she tried strangling me and was not quite crazed enough to try imaginative things like burning me or burying me. Beatings till i bled were a constant aspect of my childhood
    And i still have poor use of an eye that nearly ruptured during her metal rod beatings.

    Oh and she was a staunch raving ‘Christian’ and i was an evil child that she would kill before i could kill her. I heard this sooo many times.
    I hated her for many years and wished her dead, now i understand that the main reason for her behaviours was the difficult way of life in Nigeria.

    NO EXCUSE.

    SHe has had to work hard for my forgiveness.

    Ignorance or not people that will do such heinous things to their own children deserve the very WORST in life.

    And all fake pastors that make a riches out of promoting false hysteria, and sentencing innocent children to such difficult lives deserve to burn to death in life and forever after.

    Richard and Mfonido. Please make sure you send this message to your mum.

  53. The Pentecostal church with their passion and fulfilment of the holy spirit is something I am familiar with and enjoy, a refreshing change from political correct messages and the fear of stepping on toes from the Church of England . However when watching dispatches on the children torture all in the name of Christianity I was appalled and deeply upset, and knew something had to be done. Further research into this atrocity and I am shocked to find fellow so called Christians from my home, Nigeria, not band together to help these defenceless Children but rather inflict insults to a person raising concern on this issue. Are we not suppose to be the salt on this earth preserving good, helping the poor and being an example of Jesus to those who don’t know him? Instead I find petty squabbling in the defence of Helen Ukpabio.

    Now I know I am not scripturely strong, but I know one thing, Jesus and his love for us all. And right now he is weeping for those children who are being accused falsely and abused in his name and as Christians it is our duty to put an end to this hysteria. Even if these children we’re so called witches does it not say in the bible, “if God is for us, who can be against us? Jesus can break any bond, curse or ‘spell’ in our lives and it doesn’t require the payment to prophet but instead the faith in his ability and the belief that the devil is a liar and the only power he has is the power we give him, so take that power back rather than fuel it with this horrific display!

    I end my message from Matthew 22:37 “You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the PROPHETS.” Ask yourself, is a prophet who spreads fear and hate instead of love from God?

    My prayers, support and finances are behind you and all I can do is thank God for you educating us on this.

  54. The Pentecostal church with their passion and fulfilment of the holy spirit is something I am familiar with and enjoy, a refreshing change from political correct messages and the fear of stepping on toes from the Church of England . However when watching dispatches on the children torture all in the name of Christianity I was appalled and deeply upset, and knew something had to be done. Further research into this atrocity and I am shocked to find fellow so called Christians from my home, Nigeria, not band together to help these defenceless Children but rather inflict insults to a person raising concern on this issue. Are we not suppose to be the salt on this earth preserving good, helping the poor and being an example of Jesus to those who don’t know him? Instead I find petty squabbling in the defence of Helen Ukpabio.

    Now I know I am not scripturely strong, but I know one thing, Jesus and his love for us all. And right now he is weeping for those children who are being accused falsely and abused in his name and as Christians it is our duty to put an end to this hysteria. Even if these children we’re so called witches does it not say in the bible, “if God is for us, who can be against us? Jesus can break any bond, curse or ‘spell’ in our lives and it doesn’t require the payment to prophet but instead the faith in his ability and the belief that the devil is a liar and the only power he has is the power we give him, so take that power back rather than fuel it with this horrific display!

    I end my message from Matthew 22:37 “You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the PROPHETS.” Ask yourself, is a prophet who spreads fear and hate instead of love from God?

    My prayers, support and finances are behind you.

  55. I hope this so-called Men and women of God, at some point have come across this reading in the bible:
    Mathew 18 – 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

    Won’t hold me breath on the Law of the land catching up with them, but I am certainly sure that their comeuppance is closer than we think.

    Its time for them to take stock. Stepping stone uncovering this attrocities, is no accident, but just the beginning of their down fall.

    As an Indigeon of Eket, I did a bit of digging into the history of some of the characters, after watching the program and from what I gathered from my grand mother who has rescued some of the children abondoned due to false prophecies. Mrs Ukpabio was actually a member of Olumba Olumba Obu and was literary thrown out of the church when she tried to introduce hideous and barberic teachings including , naming and maming witches, etc. She then decided to start her own church where she could put in to practice this satantic actions.

    This questions comes to my mind:
    1. Is it only impoverished villagers that have witches and wizards for children?

    2. How many affluent peoples children have this so called prophets delivered from witchcraft?

    They are dispeakable and am sure that even Satan would quiver at the mere mention of their names.

    There is no point looking back now, though it would help shape the future, all I can say is for all those who are under the spell of Mary and all the sweet innocent and lovely witches and wizards to please support the work of stepping stone in what ever way they can so we can give this children a brighter future. Thank you Stepping Stone and may God continue to bless and guide you in your good work.

    As for you false prophets may you tari in hell with the devil, that is if he would not reject you too.

  56. Some days after trhis documentary aired and I am still seething with anger at the treatment of these so called witch children and upset by the thought of the horrific abuse that they are subjected to by so called christians. The treatment of these chidlren must not be allowed to be forgetten and we should continue to highlight it until something substantial is done to stop these evil so called preachers and this primitive belief in witchcraft.

  57. Helen Ukpabio is the BIGGEST AND MOST CUNNING WITCH OF ALL.

    She has cast a spell on her congregation and followers, and managed to convince them, ‘in the name of GOD’ to abandon, terrorize, torture, abuse, brainwash, imprison, and even murder their own children and family members, and ultimately destroy their own communities.

    The Devil need not do anything, she is turning everyone to his work in the belief that they are doing GODS work, she has fooled the masses (or bewitched them) She is a preacher of the devils work, not GODS.

    By blaming all ills and misfortune on witchcraft, and accusing the youngest and most innocent members of the community of being witches, this EVIL WOMAN keeps the ignorant masses terrified, and ensures that the innocence of childhood has no place in their culture. She has created a culture of fear and suspicion of violence and hatred, a place where one word from any number of so called priests or prophets can, with a single phrase destroy a childs life and future. The same prophets (or PROFITS might be better) who then charge huge amounts of money from the families of these children to ‘deliver them’ from the witchcraft. And if the parent can’t pay, they keep the child prisoner until they can! in the western world this would be called kidnapping for ransom!

    It never ceases to amaze me the EVIL that people can do, ‘in the name of GOD.’ The priests and Prophets are making a nice income from the cultivation of this fear and belief in witchcraft.

    The films, books and teachings of this EVIL WOMAN Helen Ukpabio are central to this, They are produced to terrify the masses, to convince them to blame all their problems on outside influences like witchcraft, instead of teaching them to open their eyes and minds and look for the cause of the problem, and to have faith in themselves and GOD that they can get through difficult times.

    The complete and utter belief of the villagers in what was being said by the so called priests was apparent. That one man was chasing a 5 year old girl who hid terrified behind her mother, telling her he would kill her with a machette, whilst smiling at the cameras was hard to miss.

    I struggled to comprehend how these things can happen in this day and age, the atrocities of the witch trials in our own history was bad enough, Those were ignorant times, when most of the fear was caused by a lack of education and understanding, when anything different stood out.

    But we have the benefit of many years now of ‘civilized society’ of education and science to explain most things, and of faith and miracles to fill in the gaps, something that some of the african states are far behind with, and this EVIL WOMAN uses this ignorance to further her cause and line her pockets.

    Well done Helen Ukpabio, for convincing your loyal followers that such an EVIL spirit could be a preacher of GOD.

  58. Having read a number of entries made here it is pertinent that the person defending the practices of Helen Ukpabio doesn’t seem to be ‘of mind’. To defend something that is indefensible only further supports Helen’s questionable state of mind and those that support such philosophy.

    The children in Akwa Ibom State should not be used as an escape from reality like high unemployment, lack of sanitation, medical supplies, and anything else Helen and her followers come up with for a reason to burn alive, beat, abuse etc.

    These innocent children once they are of a certain age, girl or boy, become the excuse for torture, masochistic behaviour by religious zealots of ‘authority’ who are in the business of being a ‘Minister of God’ for one thing only – MONEY.

    Although I said one thing I’ve just remembered another important euphemism for a ‘Minister of God’ – POWER.

  59. I am a modern witch, though I prefer the term pagan. According to this woman and her spawn, I should be praising the lord Satan and cursing her name for saving children.
    Well, she’s partly right.
    I do curse her name.
    I curse her name for allowing her videos to be made.
    I curse her name for allowing her congregations to murder and mutilate their own children.
    I curse her name for not realizing the difference between fiction and reality. Harry Potter is nothing more than a book. She is the one inspiring murder. All Harry did was inspire the waving of twigs.
    I curse her name for profiting from the blood of children.
    I curse her name for being so willingly blind about the teachings of her own bible.
    I curse her name in the place of those who cannot. Those who have died, are dying, and will die because she inspired such a heinous fear in the ones who were to protect them.
    I curse those who give her name as the reason and excuse for ending the life of one who had not yet truly lived.
    I curse her with the tears of the dead, the blood of the innocent, the screams of the betrayed.
    I curse her as she lays in a soft warm bed while the children lay in the cold, hard ground.
    I curse her as she lives the good life while the children she has condemned die like animals.

    By all that I hold holy, sun and sky, earth and sea.
    By the Gods that watch over me, Mannan Mac Lir and Scathach.
    By the bodies of the slain and the poor mutilated survivors.

    Helen Ukpabio, I curse your name.

  60. My friend has this to say:

    I agree that it is barbaric to kill anyone or mistreat anyone, talk less of a child, for being a witch.

    The “oyinbos” are getting the point on the natural level, but totally missing the point on the spiritual level, because their level of consciousness does not admit of supernatural phenomena… The question is not “she be witch, or she no be witch”. The question is, even if she be witch, na so you go do?

    The real solution here is to:

    Enforce judgement against anyone who kills or injures another for any reason whatsoever without going through the legal process, witchcraft o, armed robber caught in action o… it is all very evil and anarchic.
    Christian leaders need to speak out and help their people understand that spiritual battles are not fought with physical weapons, and that harming a person physically because of their faith, spiritual practices etc. is against Christian teaching. If so called Christian leaders continue to condone and be silent in the face of violence against people with (should I say?) what is construed as deviant or malevolent spiritual practices, then this practice will continue. See

    2 Corinthians 10 vs 4 “for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds”

    We can’t make “spiritual” judgements and then execute “material” sentences, otherwise, we are all in trouble from any schizophrenic that comes round the corner, and indeed, if we defended the position of those executing sentence on the child witches, we would have no moral right to complain at violent attacks from Islamic fundamentalists… People who do so [think they can kill or injure other people for their beliefs or spiritual practices], whether they realize it or not are cooperating with the very forces they claim to be fighting.

    In Ephesians 6:12-18, it is made clear to Christians that our war against all evil spiritual forces, whatever name you may want to give them – is fought with spiritual, and not material weapons:

    12: For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
    13: Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
    14: Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
    15: and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace;
    16: besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.
    17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
    18: Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

    As Christians, we do engage in battle against evil spiritual powers, but we have to note one thing: When other human beings work under the influence of these powers, it is not always with their full consent (as in with children who are initiated into cults). Even when other people cooperate knowledgeably and willingly with evil spiritual forces, we still have to realize that Jesus died for these people same as us, and it is his will that they be converted and saved, not killed and permanently condemned:

    Ezekiel 18:21-23 and 27-28 (note the repetition of 21 and 22 in 27 and 28… God says this for emphasis)

    [21] “But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

    [22] None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live.
    [23] Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

    [27] Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life.
    [28] Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

    And in the new Testament:

    1 Tim 2:4

    4: [God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

  61. That was Helen Ukpabio’s son commenting the first time? I guess he has been too busy reading the Ibibio bible to learn how to write English

  62. All of you people who are calling children witches are very foolish people. It has always been in the interests of African men and women of power, to tell you very foolish people that witches exist. They do not. The symptoms that you claim mean the children are possessed are all medical symptons of poverty, poor health, and ignorance within their families.

    When rich men and women like Helen Ukpabio and the son of Mrs Ukpabio tell you that witches exist, they are doing it so that they have power over you. They do it to make you do what they say.

    When Prophets and Prophetessess tell you a child is a witch, they tell you this so that they can take money of you, and have a power over you. That you believe their lies makes you a very foolish and stupid person. But you do this, perhaps because you are scared of the gangster men that the Prophets and Prophetessess pay to keep you scared.

    If you all stopped being foolish, and your villages grouped together and told these dictators of power there are no witches, and run them out of your villages with machetes and sticks, and then group together to look after each other, spending your money on good vegetables and meat for your children, not on alcohol and cigarettes, then your life will be better.

    If you do not do this you will be very foolish, unhappy and scared for all your lives. God will punish you for harming your children.

  63. As for the anonymous coward who commented rudely thus;

    As another, on November 24th, 2008 at 2:13 pm Said:

    That was Helen Ukpabio’s son commenting the first time? I guess he has been too busy reading the Ibibio bible to learn how to write English

    Do not look down on anyone. I imagine Mr Ukpabio speaks and writes better English than you will be able to speak Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba or Edo, so do not mock him. To do so merely makes you look arrogant, and thus your point loses credibility.

  64. […] accused of witchcraft several times on this blog, and since the documentary aired I have received dozens of comments execrating the pastors responsible – a nice contrast to comments I had received before the […]

  65. MFONIDO UKPABIO, iniobong elijah, You two ought to be down on your hands and knees kissing the Wests pasty white arse for sending brave and compassionate people who will take care of the children whose lives your kind have ruined. You work to destroy your country for your own profit while many of your fellow Nigerians attempt to create peace and prosperity, you are traitors to your people and traitors to mankind.

    “marine spirit” indeed. I have decided I want nothing for myself this Christmas, my only wish is that you get all the Marine Spirit you could ever wish for, preferably in the form of a platoon of US or Royal Marines.
    (I know, I know, not the way to solve this sort of thing but damn a boy can dream right?)

  66. Well, as a witch myself, I am raising my children to be witches. I find it offensive that people would pervert my religion in such a way as this movie. This movie, like so many others is a pathetic scare tactic against witchcraft. What I find amusing, to be honest is that these people don’t even have the slightest clue about what witchcraft truly is. My children are good, caring, loving individuals. I am a good, caring individual. I am outraged that anybody who is HUMAN would ever treat a child like this. I am saddened that any person involved in creating such a problem would refuse to see or take any sort of responsibility for what they have caused.

    I am also the daughter of a pentecostal and I have several pentecostal people in my family. I was raised pentecostal. I know that NO TRUE PENTECOSTAL would EVER harm a child. Insofar as bible quotes, I’ve read it several times, and NOWHERE in the bible will you find anything about children being “possessed by the ‘spirit’ of witches” or any such nonsense. I could quote the bible all day. I find it funny that the person who claims to know so much about the bible and claims that she would be able to show the passages in the bible proving she is justified in what she has done – can’t do it.

    And to clear the air about what witches are and are not – we do not possess anybody. We do not harm anybody. We are healers. We are teachers. We pray. We do NOT worship the “devil”. We do not even believe in the “devil”. We believe in heaven. We do not believe in hell. We do not cause others strife. We do not eat people. We do not kill people. These are our “commandments”.

    “An it harm none, do what thou wilt”
    “Always remember the rule of three, what you send out comes back to thee three by three”

    And if there were a hell, the people responsible for causing the harm of innocents will be the ones in it.

  67. Yes Richard. I have read your reply to my mail some time ago. Well richard, some adults do prompt children to confess witchcraft, but not the child I told you about. She was not prompted to do so. The mother was tested and confirmed to be HIV positive alongside other ailments. When she was not responding to treatment, they decided to yield to the conditions the little girl gave and the woman came up alive. Now, Richard, I’m not writing this to convince you that children can be witches. I do not need to convince you for it to be true. Your not believing it does not change anything.

    Something else you should know is that, children do not learn witchcraft. it is a possession in the spirit that a child contracts in many different ways, the most rampant being from edible products. You may not agree with any of these. At least, I know that the environment you find yourself has made you extremely ignorant of this.

    Well, you say there are no child witches in the UK, Japan, etc. Richard, there are. That you’ve not heard of any yet, as rampant as it is in Africa, does not deny their existence. And You know something, witches always try to get people to believe that they do not exist, so they can perpetuate their secret wicked acts. And the way you sound, are you sure you aren’t one?

    • “witches always try to get people to believe that they do not exist”
      ” the child I told you about was not prompted to confess.!”
      Quite a contradiction here. It is not these children who are possessed.

  68. You see, I’m just shocked at the comments of everyone about Helen Ukpabio. Did the broadcast of Channel 4 center only on Helen? Agreed, Helen’s movie was shown. Were there any clips of Helen torturing children? Why is there no reaction on the so-called Bishop who claimed to hae killed children…and the others likes him? I mean, why Helen only? Aren’t we seeing something is wrong here? THE DEVIL IS AT WORK!

  69. […] some true believers. One has just left a comment, suggesting that even I might be a witch. Over to Idongesit Elijah Okpombor (links added): Yes Richard. I have read your reply to my mail some time ago. Well richard, some […]

  70. Is it not written:

    Mk 10:13-16 (Mt 19:13-15 and Luke 18:15-17)
    “13And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”

    2 Eph 2:9
    “8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, l e s t a n y m a n s h o u l d b o a s t”

    Mt 7:15-20
    “15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

  71. Thanks for all the other scriptures I missed.

  72. I believe Jesus loves little children. I love them too. Ibelieve by grace we are saved and not by works. I believe there are false prophets who are very wicked but appear to be working for God. I only talked about an innocent servant of God who has been misrepresented, and perhaps counted among these false prophets whom Paul said their BELLY is their gOD.

  73. Mrs. Helen Ukpabio,

    I CURSE YOU IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS FAIR AND JUST!!!

    YOU ARE A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING!!!

    MAY YOU SUFFER THE SAME TORTURE AS THESE INNOCENT CHILDREN!!!

    ASE ASE ASE O! TO!

  74. Ogunseye, what makes you curse Helen this way? Just for what you’ve heard? Well, if I heard, read or watched something about you, would I be justified to react so terribly against you without any validation?

    Now, I ask you, does Helen torture children? Does she promote the torture of children? Have you seen any such clips? Do you have any evidence she does?

    Her movie, END OF THE WICKED was acted in 1999. Why has it suddenly awakened people to torture children almost ten years after? Have you watched the other movies by Helen?

    OGUNSEYE! OGUNSEYE!! OGUNSEYE!!! BE VERY CAREFUL.

  75. I watched the documentary and was very moved. Since this, I decided to write an essay for university on child spirit possession. As a Religious Studies major and this being my final year of my degree, I try to come at new ideas and beliefs with respect and understanding. Of course my own views will cloud my understanding, and yes what I saw deeply troubled me. However it troubles me still to read some of the comments here where people in response to what they have seen resort back with hatred. The work of Sam Itauma and Gary Foxcroft in the documentary, surely show that they disagree with what is going on, but by reacting with hatred how can you ever get a positive outcome? I applaud those people who are helping the children in Nigeria, it shows true courage and warmth of heart.

    As for the responses here to attacking Helen Ukpabio – I myself don’t agree with what I’ve seen and I do believe for someone to have such an impact on society in that way is dangerous. But then again I’m not going to sit here and pretend my culture is any better. Books and the media have a powerful effect on the opinions of others. It just saddens me that in the documentary she was quick to assume it was a racial attack, rather than looking at what is going on around her. Those with power are blind and as a mother I wonder how she would react if her children were ever accused of witchcraft? If she does some good, I think this documentary also highlights she also causes some bad. And that shouldn’t be ignored, especially by her.

    ‘But then if I torture you and beat you and abuse you and I mercilessly beat you and I don’t feed you and I don’t give you any water, I don’t look after you at all and I tell you, ‘You are a witch, you are a witch, you are a witch, you are a witch.’ After a while I say to you, ‘Now what are you? What are you?’ You say ‘I’m a witch,’ because you are hungry, you’ve been beaten so much, you’ve been tortured…’ (‘No this is quite different’ – local man), ‘No! It’s not quite different, it’s exactly that.’ – Gary Foxcroft

    I think that sums up exactly how I feel about the whole issue. For those defending their culture, that’s understandable. But a fundamental thing of humanity is also the family and love. Whether you are in one culture or another, never is killing, torturing or starving a child ever going to be classed as good or moral. Im not religious, but I do respect religions, and for those to use religion here as a voice go against all the teachings Jesus ever gave. Helen Ukpabio has a voice, those children should have a voice too, and when they do speak and say they are not witches they should be listened to. Thank god for CRARN and Stepping Stones Nigeria. Let’s hope ‘Saving Africa’s Witch Children’ doesn’t just become something that just fades to the back of our minds.

  76. Okpombor, Idongesit Elijah,

    I should be careful of ???!!!!!

  77. You and helen are nothing more than mere religious fanatics who have made a horrible mistake in “Judgment”…

    Many of Helen’s movies as well as books have created mass paranoia and hysteria…I have watched her other movies, however as you are quite aware of, there is one movie that stands out…

    People are looking to blame someone or something for their problems…And this movie provides them with a scapegoat!!! Innocent children!!!

    Children look to us to protect them and here we are abusing them, all in the name of money!!! How much does Helen taken in from her congregation? How much of that money is she using to help these poor children??? What are you doing ” Okpombor, Idongesit Elijah” to ensure the safety of these children??? You people are all about the money!!! When all is said and done you all will suffer the consequences of your actions and lack thereof!!!

  78. Well, Ogunseye, Ekpele, adara fun e. What money are you talking about? Where is the money made from? From accusing and torturing innocent children? Does Helen do that? Do you have proofs or evidences?

    Have you been to Calabar to see the number of children that have been abandoned in the Liberty Gospel Church, because the parents wrongly accused them of being witches, but Helen has taken them up to train them? If I tell you the number, you may feel it’s exageration. I’d like you to write to the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Cross River State chapter, and request these figures. At least they have the facts.

    Ogunseye, Helen produced End of the Wicked, where she showed children could be witches. Did she imply they should be tortured or maimed if they are? Did she mean that children should be suspected to be witches and maltreated?

    If I produced a film where children steal, do I imply that children who steal should be malhandled? It does not just follow!

    At least, I know that, Helen does not label children witches for money, neither does she encourage the maltreatment of children in the name of deliverance from witchcraft. If you find any evidence that proves me wrong, please let me know. This was the reason I asked you to be very careful about your JUDGEMENTS.

  79. Okpombor, Idongesit Elijah – i hope your son or daughter turn into one of these supposed ‘witches’ and get the same treatment. your an absoloute idiot!!!!! ok so her films dont say go and kill children but do you honestly think they dont promote this kind of violence? of course they do. i am not very religious but i hope for your sake there is no god because if there is you will surely burn in hell. your disgust me. I just hope i get the chance to come out there one day and meet face to face with the likes of you …for your own health you better hope that doesnt happen. i hope you the very worst for the whole of your life.

  80. This message goes to all the readers and contributors to this websit.
    You all should know that curses are obedient and just servants and that they are faithfull in discharging their duties accordingly.
    Those of you raining curses on an innocent woman of God based on false allegations posit on her should know that for sure, when those curses go and finds out that she is innocent, those curses must definately go back to the sender to accomplish its mission (BACK TO SENDER)
    An easy way to know if Evangelist Mrs. Helen Ukpabio is innocent from all these element of allegation is to search and assess your life in absolute totality. Evaluate yourself if all is still going on well with you right from the time you decided to comment on what you do not understand neither the motive behind all the intentions.
    HAS YOUR LIFE IMPROVED OR DEPRECIATED?

  81. If after you must have finished abusing the annointed of God and in later days, you discover that all that have been said and published about her are all false, what will you do?
    I am a Nigerian and i live at calabar where the headquarters of liberty foundation gospel ministry is situated.
    Do you think that Nigerians are not educated and exposed to current global issues? I want you to know that Nigerians are not Barbarians and that we can not sit down folding our hands watching ungodly acts prevailing in our land without reactions.
    If you are in doubt of my comment, just take a trip to Calabar and visit the church or ask people around the area if all that have been published and said about her are true or false.
    Please, do not make conclusion without making personal findings on it.

  82. […] Madaki due to possible divine retribution. A commentator to one of my blog entries on Helen Ukpabio warns that: You all should know that curses are obedient and just servants and that they are faithfull in […]

  83. The characterization of Witches as evil and of Witchcraft as harmful has resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children in every country in Africa.

    We, self-defined Witches, regard this prejudicial stereotyping of Witchcraft in Africa as an offense against human dignity everywhere.

    The incitement to “convert” or “deliver” Witches in the name of Jesus is nothing more than a religiously motivated incitement to hatred and violence.

    We condemn the Witch-pointers and Witch-hunters throughout Africa as criminals! We condemn their actions to “eradicate Witchcraft” as crimes against humanity.

  84. Wow, this is crazy.

  85. I am a christian and also a Nigerian. The righteousness of Christ. The bible says that “we have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light”. I noticed that the 5 supporters are people form either Akwa Ibom or Calabar state. I am shocked that they are acting out of ignorance. Mfonido Ukpabio i am sure you did not read what Richard said you just jumped into conclusion. He never said your mum was in support of what is happening. He said “I doubt that Ukpabio approves of what is happening to “child-witches”, and I’m sure she would be appalled by the murders of the two women in Warri” u saying u want to complete d quotation is wrong and rude. As a christian, i wonder where it was writing that our enemies are humans….or even children. Iniobong you said that u witnessed, was it the child that made the mother get HIV. Also is it only children that are witches. We should all not be in ignorance, i went to the child rescue site and i read this….

    Many children in our age are exposed to all kinds of hazards and abuses. The aim of this mission is to remedy children contaminated with witchcraft by casting out demons of witchcraft out from them, and then monitoring them for a total release.

    Also children tricked out of their parent’s hand and taken to big cities to either be enslaved or be badly treated, if found wondering are withdrawn and taken to their proper parents in the villages. A film has already been done to promote this outfit already titled “CHILD RESCUE”.
    The only true deliverance for man is the salvation of his soul. Once we say we are born again God comes in to live in us., we are the temple of God. SO if God lives in me darkness can not prevail.

  86. How can you say that a child is a witch? What is the criteria for being actually being a witch? Do you silly people not understand that to be christian this then means that you will not do harm to others, yet you brand children witches and oh sorry I forgot they also confuse!!! However bearing in mind that these children are threatened by grown adults would you not also confess??????? The saying in our society is very much true if you are told something long enough you start to believe it!!!!!! So if you are continually told you are a witch then you will start to believe it. People getting ill and dying or having accidents is apart of life why does it have to be someones fault???? You talk of there being scientific evidence of withcraft well there is scienctific evidence of why HIV arises are you not aware of that??? Children do not make adults practise unsafe sex am i not right??? And if helen has the power that she possesses over your society then why is she not using this to benefit the poor children in your society. If people have so much faith in her teachings then surely if she was teaching that harming/torturing children that are thought to be witches is wrong and should not be done then people would listen!!!!!! We are all gods children and he died on the cross for our sins – however you continue to be sinful and more than that downright evil to the innocent children that everyone is there to protect. How can you call yourself christian?????? Your future society will suffer greatly at your hands and the blood you have shed of the innocent.

  87. Mr. Nik, i have just read your mail and i love your contribution and i also have a question and comments to make based on your contribution. Were you just writing for writing sake or you wanted sharing an ideal? Do not be in a haste to draw conclusion but , before you conclude on an issue, be absolutely sure that your findings are based on truth and not on speculations and assumption.

    If you meet with Evan. Helen Ukpabio or see her from a distance, you will definitely have a story to tell.

    It is so glaringly that Helen is visiting the city of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State for a five days progrmme in March 25th-29th on a spiritual campaign on this issue and i feel this is the best opportunity to hear what she has to say about witches and how she is going to deliver them.

    If a man is accussed of perpetrating evil practice on innocent children in a particular society, when the heat is on, he will run away but, if a man is falsely accussed of being responsible for such act, he will not run away from it even if it means staking his life for it.

    This is the scenario that Evan. Helen Ukpabio is presenting by taking the fight to were the heat is and i can not tell you how interesting it is going to be because, this is going to be the best time to distinguish good from evil or evil from good.

    I am not speculating rumour on her visit to Uyo, try and establish contact with friends that are residing at Uyo from 23/03/2009 and you will know that it is true.

    Thanks for all the contributions that you have made on this issue, bye.

  88. I have not seen the C4 programme but came across the films talked about by Mrs. Helen Ukpabio while doing research on Nigeria. On her website she says, “The aim of this mission is to remedy children contaminated with witchcraft by casting out demons of witchcraft out from them.”
    This is one seriously sick lady!

  89. Hello Tom Wilson,
    I ideed appreciate your comment on this issue but they are some things one must take into cognizancebefore making it publicly.
    When you checked her website and read about her mission to cast out the spirit of witchcraft from conterminated people, did you notice the means through which she uses in casting out the spirit?
    Does she coerce them into deliverance?
    Does she collect money from them?
    Does she torture them in her church or takes them to the so called evil forest for deliverance?
    By what means does she use in conducting this deliverance?
    Have you been involved in her deliverance programme before as a whitch?
    These are some of the questions you must asked before saying that she is seriously sick.

  90. In Australia these Nigerian pentecostal ratbags are not viewed as followers of Jesus Christ (which they’re not if you follow the scriptures) but as just another form of Satanism ie they follow Satan as is evidenced by their evil deeds. I just feel so sorry for those gorgeous, darling little children who are put through hell because of these ‘pentecostal’ evil doers. I prayed tonight that Jesus would overrule Satan’s activities there and show me what I can do to help those kids.

  91. Western media! oh! Western media!!!
    I have steadily followed all the comments on all blogs that relate to this present topic about children and I cant help but conclude that it is so easy to deceive a whole lot of people if you realy want to.
    Mr. Itauma who started all these, I beleive is somewhere watching to see how in the end all this will turn out. I beleive they never counted on the fact that ” The local village woman, Evang. Helen Ukpabio” will have people who will vouch to the rest of the world that she is sincere and true even after they painted her black and blue in the western media.
    Recently, I watched a video clip of the supposed last moments of the Air france aircraft that sank in the sea btw France and Brazil on the Aljazeera channel. You know what? It was a Western media that had aired it as truth!!! Only for people to discover latter that it had been edited from the sequile “Lost”!!!!!!!! When querried, they said they did it in good faith! They have not been closed down for deceiving the public in such a way!!!
    Kudos to you Tracy Mcveigh, Kelly Stowe and others in fact all the N.G.O’s that care about children, You were looking for a scape goat and you had to make one out of Evang. Helen Ukpabio. The only problem being that this goat refuses to die even after being slaughtered on your Media altar e.g. Dispatches, BBC, Guardian, Internet e.t.c. With its neck reaped off it is still struggling and shouting. To me it simply means it is different from all other goats and somehow special!!!
    “The West” to me, looks like the proverbial wild beast with a very tough hide on its back and so it looks as if it can get away from any and everything but underneath the belly is the tender and very soft skin. Therefore, whoever knows how to manipulate the animal can easily get at it’s soft belly and do or get whatever he or she wants! Many times they want to prove how orgarnized, Civillized, good and just their society is compared to every other, they are the best and they are the standard for everything. To me, they are too far from the truth because in what they call strenght is their very weakness. A society built on fake sentiments. If you know how to tune them you can get them to support whatever you have in mind.
    I want to encourage those of you that are realy touched by the pictures the N.G.O’s have fed you with to please keep supporting them after all, we are all doing it in good faith???!!!! After all it is their love for children that compelled them to leave thier countries to Nigeria to film all the evil this woman of God is pepertuating there. Have they not shown you all the children that litter the 36 Statesof Nigeria, I must add they forgot to mention the adult witches as well roaming the streets of Nigeria with blood dreeping from their garments because they narrowly escaped death after their people watched “Married to a witch” and more so they dont have any N.G.O’s to catter for them, also, many children have taken over their parents home because they watched the film ” The Kids are angry” I can go on and on if time will permit me. Or, are this not the kind of things you like hearing about Africa, things that offend your sanctimonious most Holy and moral personalities???! “Oh!! how I bleed for those children……………………it is most cruel…………..In this 21st century……….”???!!!!!!
    Listen carefully, 1) Taking a film and editng it to suit One’s purpose to the point of distorting its true meaning and purpose is moraly very wrong.
    2) Delibrately provoking someone to anger and then secretly filming the outrage for an agender is even worse.
    3) Picking a book and deliberately plagerizing it to confuse others is terrible misinformation.
    4) I cant elaborate on the type of character assassination u practice!
    I guess all the whites and Nigerian- whites who beleive that there is no witchcraft and have seen the so called documentery cant help but beleive that by now Nigeria is hell on earth for babies and children alike and Evang. Helen is ‘Lucifer incanate’.
    If all this were to be true as the N.G.O’s realy want us to beleive can we realy compare the number of this children in Esit-Eket (village in Nigeria) that are homeless or that they say have been killed; (if it were true)! to the number of Innocent children, young girls and boys, men and women killed by Western bombs and bullets over the last few years all over the world? Do you know that my heart weeps and bleeds over this type of witchcraft? In your noble hearts I may just have become a terrorist! God help us.
    Please, leave Evang. Helen Ukpabio alone! This was exactly how they treated Jesus when he started casting out demons, (Mk 3: 23- 26). So, I’m not realy surprised! You are betting against the wrong horse. May God save our children from those truely victimizing and using them wrongly in Jesus name. Amen.

  92. […] aren’t too keen on my blog posts on the subject either (in particular here, here, and here), and some wonderfully florid insults have been received (“You are wicked, […]

  93. […] is a journalist who wrote a story on the subject for the Observer back in 2007, which I blogged on here. “MagGaven” is not anyone I have been able to identify. Ukpabio also complains that her […]

  94. i would like to hear helen’s supporters swear on God’s name that they have never witnessed helen cause any pain to a child, and have never heard her instruct anyone else to do anything that would cause a child pain.

  95. […] through a form of exorcism, but she has been particularly influential due to her horror films and books on the subject. This belief in “child witches” has led to a […]

  96. […] Helen Ukpabio, head of the Liberty Gospel network of churches and the director of witchcraft-themed horror films. Ukpabio defended herself with a comparison to J.K. Rowling, and she warned the interviewer: […]

  97. […] have been as blustering as ever, and she tried to make a distinction between her sermons and her witch-themed horror films, such as End of the Wicked: “Do you think Harry Potter is real?” Ms. Ukpabio asked me […]

  98. Helen Ukpabio, You are a mighty one of God All heaven and God’s true children stand with you.As Gideon fought the Lord’s battles, flow in His wind and let the devil and all his demons suffer and suffer and suffer. REPENT of you terrible and wickedness, all of u who see in Helen Ukpabio a witch, a potentia evil promoter in the society, and what so ever terrible names you gave her or are planning to give her. Look deep into your life, make things right with God. I assure you that if u truely repent and receive Christ Jesus in your heart,. U will understand Helen Ukpabio, and pray for that many abandon their evil ways and be saved. and you you give her your help.

  99. It’s sad that this woman is being accused of horrible things that are not of her own making by inconsiderate and unreasonable degenerates,to set things right first of all,the so called witch-themed film End Of The Wicked had only one principal theme,and that was the power of the Christian faith over Satanism,not child witches or scary-looking,blood-stained witches.And secondly,most African societies are largely traditional and as such still have strong beliefs in witchcraft which has always been a part of them,the killing of the 2 women in Warri or the maltreatment of suspected witch-children should be blamed on these beliefs,NOT on a preacher who happened to include child-witches in her movie.I personally believe she has totally nothing to do with all these barbaric acts and would not be happy to hear of such events,nor would I agree that the inspiration to carry out such acts is drawn from her publications,it is instead these strong ancient beliefs that are forcing some of these mainly rural people to make rash and rather innapropriate decisions about their children and other community members.Hellen Ukpabio is innocent of all these charges.

  100. Why don’t you unreasonable and inconsiderate degenerates just go to the International Court Of Justice and press charges against this woman if you think you have enough evidence to support your baseless accusations against her instead of blubbering nonsense?

  101. For this woman to call herself a woman of God and to perpetrate these myths is horrendous!
    More horrifying is the justifications of those who follow her teachings.

    Seeing what is happening in Niger makes me realize that when the Bible speaks of the “heathen nations” it is referring to there.

  102. […] featured in a British newspaper report at the end of 2007, and the plight of “witch children” in Nigeria so was brought to widespread attention […]

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