Basic Rights Counsel Initiative

Safe Child Africa is very proud to support the incredible work of our main partner - the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, which is based Cross River State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The organization was founded by Barrister James Ibor and his wife, Ese, in 2011 with a view to providing frontline legal and support services to children and vulnerable people in Cross River State, Nigeria.

James was our lawyer in a number of high-profile court cases that were brought against us due to our frontline work against witch-hunting pastors in Nigeria (all of which we won!).

James, Ese and the team of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative

Moved by these issues, James and Ese set up Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) to provide support to children who have been accused of witchcraft, sexually abused; neglected and abandoned and/or trafficked. Almost all of the 2400+ cases that have been documented include one or more elements of these forms of child rights violations.

Safe Child Africa provides funding, support and capacity building to enable BRCI to provide the following frontline services to those at risk of abuse:

  • Rescuing Children at Risk

    Rescuing vulnerable and stigmatized children. This critical first step is often necessary to keep the children alive.

  • Safety and Rehabilitation

    Our emergency children’s shelter provides a safe place for children to stay whilst we assess their needs and how best to address them.

  • Counselling and Support

    All children are provided with counselling and medical support by a trained professional.

  • Family Reunification and Fostering

    Every effort is made to reunite children with their families. In cases where this is not possible, we find foster carers for the children via our foster care network.

  • Pro-bono Legal Representation and Advocacy

    We properly document all cases of child abuse and file legal suits at the appropriate courts at no costs to the victims. We have won lots of these cases, including many on child rape, which are notoriously difficult to prosecute and child witchcraft accusations.

  • National and international advocacy

    Our work to advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable children has led to laws, such as the Akwa Ibom and Cross River Child Rights laws being enacted and including legislation criminalising the act of branding children as witches.

BRCI has become well respected nationally and internationally for their work on witchcraft accusations and their fearless and courageous stance that

children cannot be witches or wizards

The frontline human rights activism that BRCI carries out is not without its enemies and there have been a number of threats, intimidations and court cases over the years.

The child rescue missions are particularly fraught with danger as communities fear such children and the people who are trying to save them.

Safe Child Africa and BRCI were also integral in the process of getting the UN Human Rights Council to pass an historic resolution on eliminating harmful practices associated with witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks.

Safe Child Africa stands side-to-side with Basic Rights Counsel Initiative on every step of their journey.