Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba, has said alleged witches at the various witch camps in the Northern Region are refusing to return to their homes due to fear of attack.

She noted that although government wishes to reintegrate the alleged witches back into society, many fear for their lives as they could be lynched at the slightest suspicion in society.

To assist such women, Ms Djaba said her Ministry will equip them with skills and empower them through the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

Addressing parliament on Thursday, 25 January 2018, she said: “Recent reports on alleged witches being burnt is disturbing, and, so, the issue of reintegrating them into society is of serious concern to the Ministry.

“We have visited the Gambaga Witch Camp and we’ve put some of them on LEAP and with the new LEAP, what we intend to do is that those who can be reintegrated, the various discussions between the community and the alleged witches will continue to go on.

“However, some of them don’t want to go back to their communities because they feel that anytime something bad happens in the community, they are the first to be accused like when somebody’s child dies or there is any mishap, and, so, because of that we intend with the new LEAP to provide the productive ones with skills training and wherever they want to stay we will support them to be able to live on their own.”