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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
An Enugu widow, Mrs Chinyere Okonkwo, who was paraded and branded a witch in her Amanfu, Ugbawka community, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been abandoned under a tree at a hospital after her discharge.
The widow has been under the tree at Parklane Hospital since her discharge, according to her son.
Osita Okonkwo, her son, who has been staying with her, said his mother was discharged four days ago but could not leave the hospital over an unpaid medical bill of N620,000.
He appealed to the Enugu State Government and public-spirited Nigerians to come to their aid, noting that they spend N13,500 daily on feeding in the hospital.
Mrs Okonkwo was recently accused of witchcraft and allegedly forced to eat faeces.
Meanwhile, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) has expressed concern over the handling of the case by the Enugu State Government.
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In a statement to newsmen in Owerri, the Director of AfAW, Dr Leo Igwe, said the organisation responded after the incident, sent a local advocate who confirmed the incident, and, through the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) office in Enugu, got the Gender Task Force and the Ministry of Gender involved.
According to Igwe, the Commissioner for Gender convened a meeting in her office on October 12 and promised that the government would take care of the medical bills, referring the woman to Parklane, a government hospital, while AfAW would support other aspects of rehabilitation and access to justice.
Igwe said AfAW also worked with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to ensure the arrest of some suspects.
“Unfortunately, this morning AfAW got the news that the woman had been abandoned at Parklane hospital, that she could not be released because the government had not paid the bill as promised,” Igwe stated.
He described the development as demonstrating a lack of commitment to ending gender-based violence.
“AfAW is concerned by this development which demonstrates a lack of commitment by the Enugu state government to ending gender-based violence. AfAW urges the government of Enugu state to address this shameful and embarrassing development. It should pay the medical bills and provide this woman accused and fed with faeces some welfare package. The world is watching,” he said.
