Nigerian Foreign Minister Accuses Abused Child Witches of Lying

Astonishing news from the Nigeria Next:

Two months after the world was regaled with the revelation of mutilated, and abused children from Eket in Akwa Ibom state for being witches and wizards, the first official reaction from the federal government has come from far away Geneva.

The Minister for Foreign Affair, Ojo Madueke, leading the Nigeria delegation to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights in Geneva, Monday denied that torture is an official state policy in Nigeria, suggesting however that the “children were paid to say they were tortured.”

Madueke made this comment while answering questions in response to his official statement at a question and answer session after he presented the official Nigerian statement at the UN assembly…

The torture and abuse of children accused of witchcraft by certain Christian pastors in Nigeria is of course well-attested, and received international attention following a British TV documentary in November- I blogged on this here.

Madueke followed this up with the claim that the government was unable to find any gay people in the country.