Video - Gold rush triggers world's deadliest lead poisoning

CNN's Christian Purefoy reports on the business behind the worst-ever recorded lead poisoning outbreak in Nigeria.

Father bathes daughter in acid

Her name is Comfort Sunday, but she is presently in dire need of comfort. Indeed hers is the heart-rending story of a young girl who was  declared a witch and member of a secret cult by some members of her family.

And in a bid to compel her to confess to  being guilty as charged, she was bathed with an acidic substance by her father, James Sunday.

As a result, Comfort was not only disfigured but has become a horror figure, a far cry from her former beautiful self. Here she tells her story, while pleading with relevant authorities and indeed all Nigerians to rally to her aid.

I am Comfort Sunday; I am 14 years old and  in Junior Secondary School 1, Akwanga South. I played volley ball and I am a fast runner. I will like to be a scientist when I grow up. I presently  don’t have any of my past pictures; I had to tear all of them because they no longer represent who I am.

Some two years back, when we were on holidays, my dad said I should go and help my maternal grandfather on the farm. He lives somewhere not far from here. But my grandfather said that he did not need help on the farm at that time. He said I should return after a week or so to help one of his daughters (my aunty) harvest beans.

So I left to visit one of my sisters who was staying with  my paternal grandfather. I was to spend my holidays there. I stayed for a few days. I returned home one Friday so that I ccould attend a wedding on Saturday before going to my maternal grandfather to help his daughter on the farm.

When I came home that Friday, I saw a fresh grave behind our house. I asked what happened and was told that my grandfather  who had not been too well, fell ill and died. That it was his grave. I wept so much, because he was a very good Baba to me. He loved me very much. Anything I asked of him, he tried to give me.

Then the following day, being a Saturday, my father’s sister, Aunty Barmani, came with one pastor from Abuja. She works in Abuja. I don’t know  what kind of  work she is doing.

She and that pastor called me. They asked me if I was in the secret cult. I told them that I am not in any secret cult. I told them that I don’t know anything about secret cult.

The pastor  came with a bag. I don’t know what was inside. He asked me several questions, but I told him I don’t know anything about what he was asking me. He then called my sister aside. My sister came back and told me that I was in the secret cult.

The pastor left that afternoon. Aunty Barmani slept in the house.

But, early in the morning, she woke us up for prayers. It was then she told us that I was in the secret cult; that one of my grandfathers who lives at Alushi should come and hear about what she has found out about me.
Later, the grandfather came with one of our brothers. Barmani told them that I was the one that killed my grandfather. My father was very angry with me. He ordered me to pack my things  from my other grandfathers’s house and return home.

I did so. After about two weeks of my return, one of my step brothers took ill.  His name is Abel, and he is five years old. My father said that I was the cause of my brother’s sickness. But I said I was not the one.

The next day, I went to school. But I was very sad, so I returned home. The next morning, around 4 o’clock, my father woke me from sleep. He said that I should escort him to the village.

My step mother woke up and ask where we were going, and my father told her that we were going to the village. We left and followed the path that passed through the home of Mary Ewungulu (a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly).

As we walked on my father asked me when we would be writing our exams. And I told him it would be next Monday. He was carrying something in a bag. I didn’t know what was in the back. We arrived an uncompleted building that night. It was the only building around the place. He then told me that it was the village we were visiting. And I said I have never been to this village.

He said I should sit down.  At that point I became afraid. He looked at me and shook his head. He then started folding his trousers. He then opened the bag and removed a container with some liquid in it. He poured some in a cup and gave it to me. He said if I was a witch and I drank it I would vomit. That If I was not, I would not vomit.

I said I was not a witch. I took the cup. I first tasted it with my tongue and the thing burnt my tongue. So I refused to drink it, and I poured it away. He said I must drink it, but I refused. So he held me and we struggled.

I started to run, and he was pursuing me. As I was running, he threw the liquid on my hands  and my legs. I felt it burning my skin. I ran very fast, and then I hit  something and fell. That was when he reached me. He grabbed and pulled me up, and I started begging him to have mercy on me. I told him that If I was a witch, he should take me to our Reverend Father to pray for me. But he dragged me back to the uncompleted building. When we reached there, he poured  the liquid on me again. By now my hands and legs were burrning, and my back too. He said I must drink the liquid. I said I would not. He started forcing me to drink, but I refused.

He was shouting: “You must drink this”! But I pleaded with him, saying: “I don’t want to drink it, please Baba “.

When he could not force me to drink it, he splashed  the liquid in the cup he was holding on my face. I started shouting. He poured  some more on my body and I started running, not seeing where I was going.

I opened my eyes, and it was already getting bright. I saw a man riding Okada. I ran to him and begged him to help me. As he was asking me what happened, my father emerged from the bush. I ran back in the direction of the remote house. From there I managed to get back home.

When my stepmother saw me, she gave me water to bathed with.

I could not talk at this point. My step mother thought that I was beaten. But, some boys around our house told her that it was acid that was poured on me. I don’t know who told them. There were some dark, round swellings on my face and body.

My father returned home and found me. He called me into the room. When I went in he started to cry. He said that I should forgive him. I told him I had forgiven him.

He then took me back to my grandfather at Alushi and left me there. He said he did not want my mother’s people to see the way I was looking. He never visited me again. I don’t know how long I was there. But one day, one of my mother’s brothers came; his name is Luka. He works at Our Lady of Apostle (OLA)  Hospital.

He heard what happened so he came to see   me.

When my uncle  saw me, he was very angry. He went to our house and made trouble for my father. He threatened to deal with my father if he did not treat me. The following day, my father came with two men, who gave me injection. I think they were doctors.

But, the growth on my face and body only seemed to increase the more. Then one retired doctor came again, gave more injections and rubbed the places with engine oil. I felt no improvement

I was taken to a pharmacist who gave me another injection. The next day I was taken to one Sister Franka. She is a Police woman.

She was to pray for me. The woman told me that I was a witch; that I was  a wicked person. While, there, our most senior sister, Alice who is a teacher, came there. I don’t know the name of her school. She said that if she ever saw me at home, she would not allow me go to sleep; that  she would pour petrol on me and burn me.  I ran to one Ibo man who is a pastor by name, Pastor Chukwu. His house is on the way to Wanba. I told him about my problem.

He said that if he allowed me stay with him, people may start gossipping about it. The pastor, however, went  to our Reverend Father and told him about me. The  Father promised to  help treat my wounds, but  told the pastor to take me to the police station.

At the station, the pastor wrote down what happened to me.My father was invited to station. He was put behind the counter.

My  father spoke in our language and told me not to say that he poured something on me. But one of the police men happen to come from our area and understood what he said. He was very angry. He told the other police men what my father said. They started beating my father and later locked him up.

The police men said that I should call any of my mother’s relations. So, we called Luka. The DPO said that Luka should take me with him. But, Luka was also angry. He said that my father never allowed me to visit him. That my father had killed my mother when I was small. That my father should just go on and kill me too.

I had to return home. But my father was eventually taken to Lafia Police Station. He later returned. I was told that one of his nephews who is a lawyer, stood bail for him.

I have forgiven my father  because it is good to forgive people. But I want to go back to school. Please tell the government to help me. I want the public to help me too. I don’t want to live like this.

All attempts to meet the father for his side of the story were not possible, as he  played hide-and-seek with Vanguard Metro team.

When Vanguard Metro visited the Divisional  Police Headquarters, Akwanga, its Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Damon Peters (SP)  confirmed the case. He told Vanguard Metro that the case was brought to the Station before he was posted to Akwanga.

He brought the case file, and corroborated all that Comfort told Vanguard Metro.

On why the suspect was still moving free, he said: “The case is now with the Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia. I cannot say he is free of the charges yet. But, this Station has no more hand in that case. The only place you can get more information is in Lafia”.

Vanguard

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Human trafficking, child labour equivalent to slavery, says NIS

The Nigerian Immigration Service has decried the reactivation of slavery and slave trade through human trafficking and child labour with international networks where Nigerians have been traffickers and victims as well.

As a result of the high frequency of trafficking in persons and child labour, the service said the practice has caused the stigmatisation of Nigerians in world view and has become a huge embarrassment to the nation.

The service praised the legal commitment of the country in establishing the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Person and other Related Matters as well as ratifying the flurry of legal frameworks for the combat against traffic in person and the child rights Act.

It, however, regretted that its hands were tied by the "legal and administrative limitations as well as inadequacies as veritable partners "of the sole body set up to combat the crime because the Immigration Acts of 1963 and other legal documents have not adequately accommodated the security challenges of trafficking persons and child labour.

Disclosing the development in a communique in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after the Immigration Stakeholders' Conference, it said "the situation has thus intensified the call by the NIS for among other things, the establishment of immigration courts to take care of these security presentations.

Further, the service said there was "the need to make all the country's 147 approved land border control posts operational, in order to checkmate irregular migration, human trafficking and trans-border crimes.

The communique reeled out scores of constraints "mitigating against the performance of the NIS, including inadequate funding, lack of opportunities for the personnel to administer visa in many of Nigeria's diplomatic missions abroad.

There is also the present challenge of the service to reduce the influx of irregular immigrants, most of whom are of the Asian extradition into the country by way of quota trafficking. Also, the need to fully computerize NIS with regards to the expatriate quota administration".

Participants agreed that "there is need for attitudinal change on the part of security operatives, particularly immigration officers which will enhance the rights and dignity of Nigerians and indeed all immigration publics in a democratic environment".

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Government charges Charles, Henry Okah for kidnapping

The federal government has charged Charles Okah and his brother Henry Okah for the abduction of nine expatriate oil workers in the restive Niger Delta this year.

According to papers filed in the magistrate court in Abuja yesterday, Henry Okah, who is on trial in South Africa over the Nigeria Independence Day bombings, was shown as being at large.

Charles, arraigned with three others at a magistrate court in Abuja, was accused of "criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, threat to lives and causing grievous bodily harm."

They were accused of kidnapping and abduction of nine expatriate oil workers of Addax Oil at the Bonny Anchorage in Rivers State this year.

The kidnapped workers according to the prosecution counsel Charles Osagie are four Indians, three French men and two Russians.

Charles and three other men denied taking the hostages, as all the accused pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them by court officials.

The magistrate Mrs Oyebola Oyewunmi ordered that they be remanded in State Security Service custody until December 24th.

Charles was arrested last month over the Indepe-ndence Day attacks in Abuja. His brother remains in custody in South Africa and is accused of masterminding the car-bombings that killed 12 people and left several others injured.

The oil workers were freed last week in a raid of militant camps in the Niger Delta spearheaded by the Joint Task Force. Nineteen oil workers were rescued unhurt in the military operation.

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