(Apostle Ubong Bassey Etim. Photo Credit: Paradise News)
A Cross River State High Court No. 11 sitting in Calabar has convicted a pastor, Apostle Ubong Bassey Etim, and sentenced him to de@th by hanging for the mvrd3r of his 16-year-old daughter, Deborah Bassey, a child living with Down syndrome who had been falsely accused of being a witch.
The court, presided over by Hon. Justice Blessing Egwu, found the defendant guilty of mvrd3r and handed down the death sentence.
According to reports, the defendant committed the crime on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at about 4 p.m., at No. 7 Jacob Street off Eyo Edem, Calabar South Local Government Area of the state, leaving neighbours in shock.
After committing the act, Ubong fled the scene before he was later arrested by police to stand trial.
Prior to the incident, he had reportedly accused the deceased of being a witch and a snake.
According to an account given by the deceased’s younger brother, the girl died at the hands of their father after slipping and falling while returning from disposing of her waste.
He explained that he had gone to assist his sister with the task, but their father insisted she do it alone, and when she fell, he called on their father for help.
He recounted that their father entered the room and ordered him to leave while he attended to his sister, and after a prolonged period, called the children back into the room to announce that she had died.
The convict’s estranged wife, who has been engaged in a custody battle with him over their three children, alleged that this was not the first instance of violence within the household, claiming that she and her children, including the deceased, had suffered severe physical abse, which led to her fleeing the marriage.
She appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to help ensure her daughter receives justice, citing a long history of abse she said her family endured at the hands of Apostle Ubong.
Commenting on the judgment, Principal Counsel and Co-Founder of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), James Ibor, said Deborah’s tragic death exposed the devastating consequences of witchcraft branding, a harmful practice that continues to endanger the lives of children, particularly those living with disabilities.
He noted that across many communities, false accusations of witchcraft have led to rejection, t0rture, abandonment, and even the k!lling of innocent children, adding that the judgment sends a strong message that such acts are criminal and will attract full accountability under the law.
He described the ruling as not only justice for Deborah, but also a significant milestone in the broader fight against witchcraft branding and other harmful practices against children, reinforcing the principle that every child has a right to life, dignity and protection.
Ibor and his organisation, which secured the conviction, expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Police Force, the Attorney-General of Cross River State for strengthening the prosecution of serious criminal cases, and the judiciary for its commitment to ensuring justice was served.
He also thanked the Director of Public Prosecutions and other legal professionals involved in the case, along with partner organisations who provided financial and psychosocial support to Deborah’s mother and siblings throughout the ordeal.
The organisation noted that BRCI remains committed to ending witchcraft branding, protecting children from violence, and ensuring perpetrators of child ab*se are brought to justice, disclosing that it has secured the conviction of six rapists within the past six months.
