Man storms Akwa Ibom orphanage to poison son who almost killed him in a dream

A 53-year-old Edem Okon, has been accused by Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network, (CRARN) Children Center in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, of storming the orphanage to kill one of son taking refuge there.

In a statement released by Sam Itauma, the head of CRARN, Okon came to the orphanage with a hidden bread laced with poison made from a local berry called, Esere or Calabar beans.



“Okon came with the sole aim of killing one of his two sons under our care. His reason, being a dream he had in which his 6-year-old son, Elijah, purportedly came to stab him to death while he was sleeping in the night.

Though the man has two sons in their care, but he requested to go with one of them, but because they were skeptical about his motives they turned down his request. .

 He later requested to take his children out to purchase items for them in a nearby store. When that too was rejected he became angry and charged at his son warning him not appear in his dreams with diabolical intent otherwise he would kill him.

The organization later discovered that the man had come to the orphanage with hidden bread laced with poison made from a local berry called, Esere or Calabar beans” he said.

The organization who cater for kids and elderly people thrown out of communities for being witches and wizards, also called on government at all levels to intensify the campaign against witchcraft superstition which it said was the major cause of violence against vulnerable children and elderly people.

Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) is charity organisation registered with Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria and a 501c Charity in the US. CRARN began operation by a small group of volunteers in 2003 to shelter a few children who had been accused of possessing witchcraft power as part of a widespread witch-hunt in their community, which left hundreds of people dead in the space of two months.