A High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, on Friday sentenced popular native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, widely known as “Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki,” to 11 months’ imprisonment over his involvement in ritual practices popularly referred to as “oke ite” and other related offences.
The trial judge, Justice Jude Obiora, delivered the judgment after upholding four out of a 10-count charge filed against the native doctor.
Six counts were struck out for lack of merit.
Nwangwu was arraigned alongside two other traditional practitioners, Eke Hit and Onye Eze, following their arrest in February 2025.
The arrests came shortly after Governor Chukwuma Soludo launched a crackdown on alleged criminal activities linked to some native doctors in the state.
The enforcement followed the signing of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law and the establishment of security outfits, Agunechemba and Operation Udo-ga-chi, aimed at tackling insecurity.
Initially, the court imposed a six-year prison term with an option of a N60 million fine, to run concurrently.
However, after a plea bargain agreement between the defence and the state government, the sentence was reduced to two years.
Justice Obiora further took into account that the convict had already spent 13 months in detention under the Agunechemba Security Squad while awaiting trial.
Consequently, the two-year term was adjusted, leaving Nwangwu to serve an effective 11-month sentence at the Awka Correctional Centre.
Beyond the custodial sentence, the court directed that his shrine be demolished and all items recovered from him forfeited to the state.
The judge also ordered Nwangwu to publicly renounce “oke ite” and similar ritual practices by posting videos across his social media platforms after completing his sentence.
He is further required to serve as a Youth Entrepreneurship Ambassador for the state, producing advocacy materials discouraging young people from engaging in ritual-based wealth-seeking activities.
Part of the ruling stated that he would no longer practise or administer charms associated with “oke ite” and must make public statements denouncing such activities upon release.
Reacting to the outcome, defence counsel Ogwuedom Iwuoba described the judgment as a mutually agreed plea bargain.
He said the agreement reflected a consent judgment reached with the state government, adding that there would be no appeal since both parties had upheld the terms of the bargain.
