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Governor Chukwuma Soludo says the state targets criminal practices, not traditional religion.
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Criminal idolatry vs. tradition: Authorities act where rituals involve crime, human sacrifice, or support for fraudsters and kidnappers.
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Recent arrests: Two native doctors, Johnpaul Ezenagu and Chidozie Nwangwu, were prosecuted for illegal rituals and criminal activities.
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, on Friday explained why his administration clamped down on some native doctors in the state.
He told reporters in Akwa that while the government respects traditional religion, it must intervene when such practices cross into criminality.
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He condemned acts linked to “Ego Mbute,” “Oke-Ite,” and “Yahoo Plus,” which blend superstition with illegal activities.
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Ezenagu, known as “Mmuo Mmili Afulu Anya,” was arrested in Nnewi for performing illegal rituals and supplying counterfeit currency to fraudsters.
Another practitioner, Chidozie Nwangwu, “Akwa Okuku Tiwara Aki n’Oba,” was sentenced to two years in prison, with part of the sentence running concurrently with pre-trial detention.
Soludo emphasised that genuine traditional medicine and worship are respected, but any rituals promoting harm or crime must be exposed and stopped.