Father Tortures Alleged Witch-Child With Gun Over Failed Witchcraft Confessio

The 8-year-old victim

Mr. Ita Ayamba, a police officer from Ibiaku community, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has allegedly brutalised and abandoned his eight-year-old daughter, Goodness Ayamba over her refusal to confess to witchcraft.

Ita was said to have paraded the little girl along the village streets naked, declaring that Goodness was responsible for his retrogression in the Police Force.

A source and relative of Ita, said in Eket on Saturday, on the condition of anonymity, that the police sergeant tortured his daughter for several hours in an attempt to extract a confession of being a witch from her.

He said: "When he discovered that Goodness had passed out, Ita abandoned her, having hit her chest with the butt of his AK 47 Rifle."

"None of us could go close to Ita to rescue Goodness as he had threatened to shoot anyone that dared."

"I don't see how a child of that age could become a clog in the wheel of her father's progress in the Police Force. We need to tell each other the truth. Progress in one's career depends on the efforts one has made academically."

It was gathered that Ita had divorced Goodness' mother some years back. He was said to have remarried almost immediately, leaving three children including Goodness with their grandmother.

A resident of the area, Okon Ekong, said that on July 28, 2013 when the children were on holiday, Ita had requested custody of them and Ita's former wife, Mrs. Anietie Ayamba had taken the children to him.

Ita, who works at Trans Amadi Police Station, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State had allegedly not been to Ibiaku, Mkpat Enin LGA since the incident.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson said: "Messages have been sent across to police area commands in Oron and Ikot Ekpene so that Ita will not have any place to hide once he is in the state."