The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child has given Nigeria a 180-day deadline to outline concrete steps toward ending the abuse of children accused of witchcraft, following a landmark ruling that found the country in violation of its obligations under the African Charter.

The decision, delivered in Communication No. 0017/Com/001/2021 and adopted at the Committee’s 46th Ordinary Session in December 2025, was released yesterday after a petition by Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network, Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, and the Centre for Human Rights.

The Committee found that Nigeria failed to protect vulnerable children from severe abuses linked to witchcraft accusations, including torture, abandonment, starvation, and in extreme cases, killings.

According to findings presented before the panel, children as young as three years old were subjected to inhumane treatment, often at the hands of family members, community leaders, and religious actors who branded them as witches.

The Committee ruled that such acts constitute grave violations of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, stressing that cultural and religious beliefs cannot justify harm against minors.

“We commend the Committee for its important work in addressing complex and deeply rooted violations affecting vulnerable children, including those subjected to harmful practices such as witchcraft accusations,” said Michael Gyan Nyarko.

The ruling directs the Nigerian government to implement legal, social, and institutional safeguards to prevent further abuses and to ensure protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration of affected children.

“I have been campaigning for the rights of these children since 2000, drawing attention to the federal government without being heard. This victory proves that witchcraft accusation is real, but witchcraft itself is not real,” said Sam Ikpe Itauma.