The Minister-designate for the North East Region (NER), Tia Ibrahim, has stated that he will adopt a cautious and strategic approach to closing witches' camps in the region to ensure the safety and reintegration of women accused of witchcraft into society.
Appearing before Parliament's Appointments Committee yesterday, he explained that while the ultimate goal was to abolish the camps, it must be done with careful community engagement to avoid putting the lives of the accused women at risk. "This is a very sensitive matter that must not be rushed.
I care more about the safety of these women, so my approach will begin with engaging the communities to ensure they are ready to accept the reintegration of these accused women," he said.
He said witches' camps are "safe havens" for the women accused of witchcraft, and added that rushing to close them without community readiness could expose the women to harm.
