Anambra Court Jails Native Doctor for Money Ritual Offences

Court jails native doctor for money rituals

An Anambra High Court in Awka sentenced native doctor Ekene Igboekweze, known as “Eke Hit”, to six years imprisonment on count one and another six years on count two. [1] Justice Jude Obiora ordered the sentences to run concurrently without an option of fine and with credit for the period already spent in detention. [1] The defendant and other suspects were arraigned on 4 April 2025 on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, protective charms and money rituals. [1]

Arrest followed new Anambra security law

Mr Igboekweze was arrested in February 2025 by Agunechemba security vigilance operatives alongside two other native doctors. [1] The arrests followed the signing of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 by Governor Charles Soludo. [1] The law prohibits native doctors from claiming that they can make people wealthy through “Oke Ite” and other rituals. [1] It also prohibits the preparation of charms for criminals. [1]

Defendant’s defence and family plea

During his defence, Mr Igboekweze told the court he was a registered herbalist and member of the Odinani Okija Traditional Association. [1] He said he used herbs and roots in his practice and that the viral videos that made him popular were old, recorded before the enactment of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025. [1] Before sentencing, Mr Igboekweze pleaded for forgiveness, saying he had learnt his lessons and urging the court to consider his family. [1] He particularly appealed for consideration of his newborn triplets, whom he said he had not seen. [1] His wife, Elizabeth, and half-brother also pleaded for leniency, describing him as well-behaved and kind. [1] They told the court that Mr Igboekweze was his mother’s only son in a polygamous family and had maintained good character. [1] Mr Igboekweze, who hails from Umuofor Village, Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, gained social-media popularity advertising charms purportedly capable of bringing wealth. [1]

Judge’s ruling on the evidence

In his judgement, Justice Obiora held that the prosecution proved counts one and two beyond reasonable doubt. [1] The judge, however, resolved count three in favour of the defendant. [1]

Separate custody deaths spark Niger state unrest

Survivors of a Nigerian disaster that saw 37 suspected illegal gold miners die while in the custody of a paramilitary civil defence group recounted their panic as they struggled to breathe inside the cell. [2] Police fired shots to disperse protests as tensions spilled onto the streets of Minna, the capital of mineral-rich Niger state in central Nigeria. [2] Government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew to curtail the unrest. [2] Nigeria's government suspended a civil defence commander as President Bola Tinubu ordered a "thorough", "urgent and "full and transparent investigation" over the deaths. [2] Testimony from survivors suggested the miners may have suffocated in packed cells. [2] "We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well," Dauda Shehu told journalists at a city hospital. [2] "All of a sudden we realised that we could not breathe and we were all scampering for where to get fresh air, we even appealed to them several times, banged the cell door but they refused to answer us." [2] Another survivor, who asked not to be named, said he made it out alive because he was near the cell entrance where he could breathe better. [2] "We were screaming for help," he said, telling guards that "people are dying one after the other, they did not believe us". [2] A 40-second video shared online purporting to show the victims of the incident featured bodies of dozens of young men clad only in shorts. [2] Most of them appeared to be teenagers and were sprawled on the ground out in the open. [2] Mallam Abdullahi lost a son, Salim, whom he said was the family breadwinner. [2] He explained his son had left home three days earlier for mining and did not return. [2] "They should tell us what truly killed our children... We need justice," Abdullahi told reporters. [2] "The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment," said the president. [2] "We will not tolerate deaths arising from official negligence, abuse, dereliction of duty or the failure of public officials to protect lives placed under their care". [2] An intelligence report suggested the 37 died as a result of overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention facility, though the civil defence initially blamed the deaths on disease. [2]

What to watch next: Niger state has in recent weeks seen a spate of kidnappings largely blamed on bandits and Lakurawa jihadists from the northwest who established presence in the central state. [2]