Delta: Caged mother of eight rescued

A mother of eight, identified as Gladys, who was caged for alleged witchcraft for over three years by the husband, Ame Edjeketa (41), has been rescued in Orerokpe, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.

The husband has been arrested.

Gladys was rescued on Tuesday and she is receiving care at a government hospital.

The facebook account of a rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, said Edjeketa decided to lock Gladys up in their compound for being a ‘witch’.

According to the account, Gladys was impregnated by the husband and gave birth to three of the eight children while she was caged in Delta.

Gwamnishu’s account reads: “Gladys was accused of witchcraft and caged for more than three years. She spent the last four years of her life locked up by her supposed husband. She was peeing and defecating in the same room where he fed her bread, not the regular sweetened bread though.

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“She gave the said man eight children, three of which she had while she was locked up.”

Gwamnishu said the husband had accused the wife of witchcraft due to some happenings in the family. According to him, the eight children, all less than 16 years, are still in their father’s home in Orerokpe.

He added that his team, Behind Bars Initiative, is working with the police to locate Gladys’ family in Ozoro, Isoko North.

Police spokesperson Onome Onovwakpoyeya said Edjeketa claimed his wife was ‘insane’.

“The husband said the woman is insane and he had taken her to many herbal homes to no avail. Her family also rejected her so he took her back home to nurse. Since the report came in, the woman has been admitted while the man is in custody,” she added.

Reference