In a significant crackdown on illicit spiritual practices, Anambra State’s renowned native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki n’Oba, was apprehended on Saturday by the state’s vigilante group, Agunechemba. Authorities allege that he has been providing charms to individuals involved in criminal activities, including kidnappers posing as internet fraudsters.
This arrest comes in the wake of the recently enacted Anambra State Homeland Security Law, 2025, which imposes stringent penalties on native doctors who prepare or administer charms such as ‘Odeshi’, ‘Okeite’, and ‘Mkpu Egbe’. Offenders now face up to six years in prison, a fine of N20 million, or both.
During interrogation, Nwangwu denied involvement in ‘Oke Ite’, a ritual associated with wealth accumulation, claiming, “I have long stopped doing ‘Oke Ite’. That thing is not a charm. We just gave it the name ‘Oke Ite’ because we put it in a pot.”
The Anambra State Government has intensified efforts to curb the misuse of supernatural practices linked to criminal activities. The Homeland Security Law explicitly targets individuals who create charms believed to provide protection or wealth through unlawful means and those who publicly promote such practices.
