Lawal Ismaeel, father of a physically challenged person, narrates the ordeal of his five-year-old daughter, who was born without a limb. DONALD IORCHIR reports
Despite the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights’ that provides that an individual is entitled to respect for his life and integrity of his person, which Nigeria is a signatory, ritual killings and the practice of human sacrifice continue in the country.
These practices entail the hunting down, mutilation, and murder of vulnerable people in the society, including people with disabilities, women, and children. Reports indicate that killings of this nature are on the increase in Nigeria.
Unreported incidents
Sadly, because of the secrecy involved in ritual sacrifices, a majority of these incidents go unreported and un- investigated.
In this part of the continent, anti- sacrifice advocates face an uphill battle in combating these rituals because the practices are often denied and touch on cultural underpinnings, resulting in ideological conflict between protection of human rights and respect for the beliefs and practices of other cultures.
Inhuman practice
Maryam Lawal, a five year old girl is one of the victims of this inhuman practice in Nigeria. She was saved from different kidnap attacks aimed at killing her for ritual purpose.
Narrating the course of Maryam deformity, her father, a petty trader, Mr. Lawal Ismaeel said Maryam’s case was no different from other vulnerable children. “She was born without a right limb in 2012 and right from her cradle bed she had faced social and cultural discriminations.
Without limb
“After the pronouncement of the obstetrician that Maryam lost her right hand in the womb as a result of Congenital Abnormalities that must have taken place during the gestation period.
“As a day old child, we the parents began to shield and protect her from the extended family who criticized her state of disability and tagged her as “a despicable child” whose paternity is doubtful”.
Ismaeel explained that, the extended family continued to complain that, “Maryam is never a member of their family and can never be part of the family, saying that no one in the history of our lineage who has the record of giving birth to a child with disability, therefore she can never bear our family name”.
Attempted kidnap
Maryam’s father continued: “On one fateful Tuesday, while I was returning with Maryam from a Boxing Day picnic in the company of her siblings, an unidentified vehicle intercepted us. The six-man gang, who were fierce looking, armed with local gun, machete, cutlass and other local harmful weapons requested for Maryam, among other children in the car at gun point.
“The attempt to kidnap Maryam was foiled by the intervention of a group of farmers and other passers-by who were coincidentally plying the road along Gwagwalada/Kuje Road, near Chibiri, where the incident occurred at about 5pm on 26th December 2017.
Abuse
“The innocent Maryam after her birth in 2012 had to live in a secluded environment for over two years before I could register her for pre-elementary school. This is to ensure that she is protected from all sort of derision or abuse in public places.
“Prior to her enrolment into school, the news of ritual killings in the suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, have been in circulation.
“Before the 2015 General Election, sometimes in February, a kidnap attempt also was made at Maryam’s school, but a brave gateman stopped the old woman who came to snatch the little girl claiming that she is Maryam’s grandmother who had come to visit the father and his family from their place.
“It was shocking and one can ever imagine that these evil doers can be so wicked to the extent of wanting to snatch a disabled little girl like Maryam with the intention of using her for sacrifice.
“The incident was reported to the police but the police did not do anything, the perpetrators are yet to be identified, the members of the community points to the fact that ritual killers who are on rampage are responsible for the attempted kidnap of the little Maryam.
“As the 2019 General Elections is fast approaching, these incessant crimes against children’ are expected to be on the increase with little or no preventive measures put in place by the government.
Promising child
“Maryam is a promising child who is extra ordinarily intelligent, academically sound and love going to school every day, despite the unsafe atmosphere. She intends to be an Orthopedic Surgeon when she becomes an adult, but the question is what hope for her dream in this spate of insecurity and killing of innocent children for ritual purpose.
“Physically challenged persons in Nigeria should not see their condition as an excuse to be lazy but should rather engage themselves in lucrative ventures that will provide their needs, try to be self- reliant and industrious to meet up with the challenges of our contemporary society”.
The Kuje petty trader, Ismaeel, said despite his strive to make ends meet for his entire family, some of his challenges include financial.
He therefore, called on good spirited Nigerians, NGOs, and organizations to come to their aid and assist Maryam to overcome the burden of her deformity.
