Witchcraft: A/Ibom commission summons church leaders

The Akwa Ibom Judicial Commission of Inquiry into witchcraft accusations has given the General Overseer of Liberty Gospel Church, Mrs Helen Ukpabio, up till Feb. 16 to appear before it. The six member commission headed by Justice Godwin Abraham was sworn in by Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, on Nov. 22, 2010. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission had earlier issued a witness summons to the General Overseer of the Church, Rev. Helen Ukpabio, to appear before it.

Ukpabio had earlier submitted a written memorandum to the commission set up to make recommendations on the child witch syndrome in Akwa Ibom. Mr Anthony Effiom of the Liberty Gospel Church appeared on Friday to represent the General Overseer of the Church but the Commission’s Chairman; Abraham ruled that Ukpabio must appear in person. Abraham maintained that since Ukpabio submitted a memorandum to the commission in her personal capacity, she was bound to appear personally to provide additional information to the commission and be ross examined. Counsel to Ukpabio, Mr Tony Ukam, had informed the commission that the General Overseer was outside the country and could not be immediately available to testify before the commission.

Abraham, however, allowed Effiom, who is also a lawyer, to testify on behalf of the Church. The commission’s chairman insisted that Ukpabio must personally appear before it on Feb.16 or a warrant of arrest would be issued to compel her to appear. Effiom, in his testimony under oath adopted the memorandum earlier submitted to the commission and was cross examined by Counsel to the commission, Mr Anietie Eno, Counsel to Child’s Rights and Rehabilitation Network. Under cross examination, Counsel to coalition of Child’s Rights NGO, Mr Anthony Ebuk, stablished that Stepping Stones Nigeria had raised N7.5 million and not 7.5 million Pound Sterling as alleged by the Church in its memo to the commission.