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With renewed vigour, the newly inaugurated Cross River state executive of Child Protection Network (CPN) has rescued a 6-year-old girl (name withheld) who was branded a witch by her father, a Police officer, after locking her up for weeks in a store in Okurikang, Odukpani Local Government Area for weeks.
CPN invaded the store in Okurikang after a tip-off from neighbours who raised alarm, noting that the child have been left there for weeks by her father who has been identified as Sergeant Echeng Ezeoke of Police Mobile Force (PMF ) 11.
According to the neighbours, Ezeoke visits the store every evening to beat and abuse the child not without levelling several accusations of her being a witch and behind his misfortune. Although the child had denied the accusations by her father.
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| The store where she was locked up by her father |
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In a chat with newsmen, Kebe Ikpi, the Cross River State Coordinator of Child Protection Network (CPN), said that the rescue mission was carried out after "worried and concerned neighbours said they have been hearing the child crying for days. The father, who is a Police officer, lives in another compound with another woman and just left the child here."
Kebe added that the issue will be followed up appropriately, saying, "the child has an injury on her head that we suspect is a machete cut. This is not something that should be happening anywhere, nonetheless, from a Police officer."
Odukpani chapter Coordinator of CPN, Apostle Leonard Ekpenyong, while encouraging citizens not to condone any form of abuse, informed that when community members cooperates with security and other agencies such as CPN, all harmful practices against children can be eliminated.
The suspect is said to have been handed over to the Odukpani Police Division, while the child has been placed at a children's shelter.
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| The victim bearing a deep cuts on her head from the numerous beatings from her father |
This reporter learnt that the rescue and subsequent treatment of the child including shelter is supported by Project Alert and Basic Rights Counsel Initiative.
This story was first published on CrossRiverWacth as Child Protection Network Rescue Child Branded Witch By Her Police Officer Father In Odukpani
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