Helen Ukpabio
Encyclopedia
Helen Ukpabio is the founder and head of African Evangelical
franchise Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries based in Calabar
, Cross River State
, Nigeria
. She was born in the village of Mbente, Imo State
, Nigeria and is married to Dr. Elijah Ukpabio. She has three children.
During her early life she was educated at St. George's Catholic School in Falomo, Jinadu Anglican School in Obalende and the Methodist Girls' School in Ikot Ekpene
, Akwa Ibom State, all in south-eastern Nigeria.
In 1992, Ukpabio founded Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries with the aim of spreading her often literal interpretations of the Holy Bible to the people of West Africa
. The belief most often associated with Mrs. Ukpabio and her organisation is a claim that Satan
has the ability to manifest himself in the bodies of children by demonic possession
and make them become his servants in the form of 'witches'
or 'wizards'
.
Exploiting local superstitious beliefs, particularly those related to spiritual or demonic possession or witchcraft
, Helen Ukpabio's organisation has grown exponentionally throughout Nigeria and West Africa since its foundation. There are now major Liberty Gospel Churches in Cameroon
, Ghana
and South Africa
as well as Nigeria.
A fact not mentioned in the book is that these symptoms are common in young children, especially in areas like Nigeria with poor health and high levels of malaria.z
She also produces a number of films to spread the view that children can become possessed by evil spirits through her film production company, Liberty Films, part of the Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries franchise. The most famous of these is 'End of The Wicked' in which child actors are shown to eat human flesh and murder their parents.
In 2008, the TV news documentary
Dispatches
Saving Africa's Witch Children by UK
broadcaster Channel 4
stated the views that she expresses have led to a massive upsurge in children stigmatised and abandoned by their families in West Africa
, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
. Both reports followed the activities of two charities, CRARN and Stepping Stones Nigeria
, which aimed to look after the children who have been rejected by their parents for displaying what they believed to be signs of witchcraft., assertions which have also been made by the Associated Press. The Telegraph Thursday 14 April 2011. The accusation and her defense against them have been reported in the New York Times.
Stepping Stones Nigeria
The Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
franchise Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries based in Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
, Cross River State
Cross River State
Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. She was born in the village of Mbente, Imo State
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...
, Nigeria and is married to Dr. Elijah Ukpabio. She has three children.
During her early life she was educated at St. George's Catholic School in Falomo, Jinadu Anglican School in Obalende and the Methodist Girls' School in Ikot Ekpene
Ikot Ekpene
Ikot Ekpene, known throughout Nigeria as " The Raffia City", or locally simply as "IK," is a historic town in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, and is in the densely populated state of Akwa Ibom. It is the political and cultural capital of the Annang ethnic group in Nigeria...
, Akwa Ibom State, all in south-eastern Nigeria.
In 1992, Ukpabio founded Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries with the aim of spreading her often literal interpretations of the Holy Bible to the people of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. The belief most often associated with Mrs. Ukpabio and her organisation is a claim that Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
has the ability to manifest himself in the bodies of children by demonic possession
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
and make them become his servants in the form of 'witches'
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
or 'wizards'
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
.
Exploiting local superstitious beliefs, particularly those related to spiritual or demonic possession or witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, Helen Ukpabio's organisation has grown exponentionally throughout Nigeria and West Africa since its foundation. There are now major Liberty Gospel Churches in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
as well as Nigeria.
Controversial views
Ukpabio has published her views in several books. An example is 'Unveiling The Mysteries of Witchcraft', in which she states that:
If a child under the age of two screams in the night, cries and is always feverish with deteriorating health he or she is a servant of Satan.
A fact not mentioned in the book is that these symptoms are common in young children, especially in areas like Nigeria with poor health and high levels of malaria.z
She also produces a number of films to spread the view that children can become possessed by evil spirits through her film production company, Liberty Films, part of the Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries franchise. The most famous of these is 'End of The Wicked' in which child actors are shown to eat human flesh and murder their parents.
Media references
In 2007 an Observer newspaper article claimed Ukpabio and other evangelical pastors were encouraging an upsurge in the numbers of children being accused of witchcraft and being abused and stigmatised by parents and communities as a result.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/09/tracymcveigh.theobserverIn 2008, the TV news documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Dispatches
Dispatches (TV series)
Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987. The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.-Awards:*...
Saving Africa's Witch Children by UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadcaster Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
stated the views that she expresses have led to a massive upsurge in children stigmatised and abandoned by their families in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Both reports followed the activities of two charities, CRARN and Stepping Stones Nigeria
Stepping Stones (charity)
Stepping Stones Nigeria is a UK registered charity that works with and through Nigerian partners to protect and uphold child rights in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It was founded by Gary Foxcroft in 2005. Stepping Stones Nigeria is based in Lancaster, England. The organisation has 4...
, which aimed to look after the children who have been rejected by their parents for displaying what they believed to be signs of witchcraft., assertions which have also been made by the Associated Press. The Telegraph Thursday 14 April 2011. The accusation and her defense against them have been reported in the New York Times.
External links
CRARN (Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network)Stepping Stones Nigeria
The Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries