Photo of girl branded a witch and set ablaze in Akwa Ibom, 3 years ago

A transformation picture of a girl who was branded a witch and set ablaze in Akwa Ibom three years ago has been shared by her benefactor.

On Tuesday, Anja Ringgren Loven, a Danish aid worker, marked three years since she and her team rescued a young girl who was about to be burnt to death after being branded a witch in Eket, a part of the state.

Posting before and after photos of the young girl, Ms Loven said that although the scars on her body will never go away, Queen has undergone a tremendous personal development and recovery after struggling with low self esteem, sadness and physical pain.

Ms Loven described Queen as a “very strong young woman” who is so good on the footbal field that it is not easy to dribble past her.

She wrote,

“On the 8 of August 2018 I shared the story of Queen. At that time she had been with us for 1 year.

So today Queen has been with us for exactly 3 years. Queen’s story is very horrible.

David Emmanuel Umem and our team rescued her just before she was burned to death. Queen was very terrified and weak when she came to Land of Hope after several treatments at the hospital.

70% of her body were burned and she was in so much pain. The scars on her body will never go away. It´s a constant reminder of the attack.

And it has not been easy for Queen to overcome her challenges and regain her strenghth. After her rescue she isolated herself in her room and struggled with social and communication problems.”