Chidiebele Obika | I-Witness News
Feature Article – Awka
Growing up, even up till now, I’m used to hearing our people (Igbo people) say, ” ezigbo dibia anara eme nkpotu. Olu oma dibia na akowa onye obu” loosely translated thus, ‘ a good native doctor needs no adverts; his good works announce him”.
We started losing it when too many fake native doctors surfaced in our society and started campaigning for customers online. Some social media influencers and netizens at some point initiated online polls to ascertain who among them was the wealthiest. The spontaneous emergence of these wealthy native doctors remains a surprise to even their relations and community.
Imagine the decay!
As usual, the popular culture adapted most of these things; scripted films about them and musicians dedicated lines to praising “ego ogwu, okeite or ego mbute”.
Before now, fake native doctors appeared almost everyday on their respective social media handles usually on animal-blood-stained cloths (or so) behind dirty and gory looking backgrounds inviting their victims to visit them for okeite preparation and other get-rich-quick-charms. Some bathe their victims with ram blood claiming to cleanse them of unknown curses – “isa uchu’. While ‘isa uchu’ is not alien to Igbo traditional worhsip, practitioners conduct their affairs quietly without showing off.
Thankfully, the Soludo led Anambra state government upon noticing the ugly trend, swung into action and presented the Anambra homeland security executive bill to the Anambra state house of assembly.
The 8th assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze gave it the attention it required and passed the bill into law. On January 18, 2025, the governor gave his ascent thus making it a working law in the state.
In clause 18 of the law, it stated that ” Any person who under the practice of “𝑶𝒌𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒆” or “𝑬𝒛𝒆 𝑵𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒊” or under any other guise, administers any substance or charm on or for any other person for the purpose of commission of any offence or for the purpose of accumulation of wealth by supernatural means other than by any known lawful means of livelihood or who publicly propagates the accumulation of such wealth other than by any known lawful means of livelihood, commits and offence”. It went further to state that the person who commits the offence is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of 6 years with an option of fine of 20 million naira or both.
Moreover, the law further cleared that, ” Any person who misleads the public by purporting to wield any Supernatural powers which he is found not to possess or who obtains any reward from any person in furtherance thereof, commit an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of 6 years with an option of fine of 20 million naira or both.
Nowadays, people boldly declare themselves as ‘yahoo boys’. Most of whom have been found to indulge in other illicit activities like kidnapping for ransom, sale of human parts for rituals and other heinous crimes.
The coming of the Anambra Homeland Security law was timely as it aims to solve security and other sundry religious cum cultural issues holistically.
Since Governor Soludo gave his ascent to the law and operatives of Agunechemba Squad under Operation Udo Ga-Achi commenced operations, most fake native doctors have abandoned their shrines and left Anambra while others are helping the security operatives with some explanations. There’s a new trend in town called ‘Oso Soludo’. Sincerely, ‘osubirila really’.
Fellow ndi Anambra, peace is reigning here and I implore you to continue supporting the government with quality information that would aid the arrest and prosecution of criminals in the state.
