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By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja
A High Court in Awka, Anambra State, on Friday sentenced popular native doctor Chidozie Nwangwu, also known as “Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki,” to 11 months in prison and ordered him to publicly renounce ritual practices after being found guilty of engaging in wealth-seeking rituals popularly called “oke ite.”
Justice Jude Obiora found Nwangwu guilty on four of the ten charges brought against him. He had been arraigned alongside fellow native doctors Eke Hit and Onye Eze on allegations that included money rituals, “oke ite,” and the preparation of charms for criminal purposes.
The trio got arrested in February 2025, a month after Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered a crackdown on native doctors under the Anambra State Homeland Security Law.
The law led to the creation of the Agunechemba and Operation Udo-ga-chi security units, which the government credited with helping to reduce ritual-related crimes across the state.
During the trial, six of the charges against Nwangwu were struck out, while four were upheld. He was initially sentenced to six years in prison, with an option of a ₦60 million fine, to run concurrently.
Following a plea bargain between his defence team and the Anambra state government, the sentence was reduced to two years. Considering that Nwangwu had already spent 13 months in detention under the Agunechemba Security Squad, the court further reduced his sentence to 11 months.
In addition to imprisonment, the court ordered Nwangwu to publicly renounce ritual practices by producing videos to be shared across all his social media platforms.
He was also directed to serve as a Youth Entrepreneurship Ambassador for the state, creating content to discourage youths and members of the public from engaging in wealth-seeking practices linked to “oke ite” and other rituals.
The court further mandated the destruction of his shrine and the confiscation of all ritual items recovered during his arrest.
Part of the judgment read:
“He will become an Ambassador for youth re-orientation. His oba shrine is to be destroyed. He will no longer practise Oke ite and will not administer such charms. Upon completion of his imprisonment, he will make public statements denouncing Oke ite and such charm practices. He will serve his imprisonment at the Awka Correctional Centre.”
Reacting to the judgment, defence counsel Ogwuedom Iwuoba described it as a result of the plea bargain agreement, adding that there was no need to appeal. He said:
“Yes, there is no way I will say I am not okay with it because it is a plea bargain agreement. That was the agreement we signed with the government, and the government kept its side by sentencing him to 11 months’ imprisonment. We made a bargain with the state government, so it is a consent judgment that we agreed to, and there is no need to go on appeal.”
The court emphasized that the ruling was aimed at discouraging ritual-related practices and promoting youth engagement in lawful entrepreneurship.
By mandating public renunciation of ritual activities and the destruction of his shrine, the judgment sought to send a strong message against wealth-seeking rituals and encourage reorientation among young people across Anambra State.