UYO, Nigeria — An 8-year-old girl who was accused of witchcraft and subjected to torture has been rescued by Danish aid worker Anja Ringgren Loven, founder of the Land of Hope charity.
According to a Facebook post by Loven, the child was reportedly taken to a church in Akwa Ibom State, where a self-proclaimed prophet declared that she was responsible for her mother’s illness.
Following the accusation, the girl was tortured but managed to escape and hid in the bush before she was found.
Loven, who has long been involved in rescuing children accused of witchcraft in Nigeria, shared details of the incident in a Facebook post on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
“Yesterday, Land of Hope’s Director of Child Development, Nsidibe Orok, got an emergency call. An 8-year-old girl was accused of being a witch and at risk of being killed,” Loven wrote.
“She was in the church when prophecies said she was the cause of her mother’s sickness. She was tortured but escaped and has been hiding in the bush. The girl needs urgent medical care.”
The rescue highlights the ongoing issue of child witchcraft accusations in parts of Nigeria, particularly in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, where children are often blamed for misfortunes and subjected to abuse, abandonment, or even death.
Land of Hope, formerly known as the African Children’s Aid Education and Development Foundation, has been at the forefront of efforts to combat such accusations, providing shelter, education, and medical care to children rescued from harmful situations.
Loven and her team are working to ensure that the rescued girl receives urgent medical treatment and the necessary care for her recovery.
Authorities have not yet commented on whether any legal action will be taken against those involved in the abuse.
