Anambra High Court Jails Celebrity Native Doctor Akwa Okuko for Two Years, Orders Shrine Demolition
AWKA – An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced a popular celebrity native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko, to two years’ imprisonment over offences linked to alleged criminal practices, and ordered the demolition of his shrine in Oba.
Nwangwu was arrested in February 2025 by operatives of the Agunechemba Security Outfit over allegations bordering on aiding and abetting kidnapping and involvement in money rituals.
He was apprehended alongside two other native doctors — Okocha, also known as Onyeze Jesus, and Mr. Ekene, popularly called Eke Hit — who had also been standing trial in the custody of the security outfit.
Delivering judgment on Friday in suits Nos. A/40C/2025, A/41C/2025 and A/42C/2025, Justice Jude Obiorah held that Nwangwu had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges and entered into a plea bargain agreement with the Anambra State Government.
The judge sentenced the defendant to two years’ imprisonment on counts three, four, five, six, seven and eight, ruling that the terms would run concurrently. Counts one, two and three were struck out.
Justice Obiorah said the conviction was based on provisions of the Criminal Code and the Anambra Homeland Security Law, stressing that under the law, any person who claims to possess powers to heal or make individuals wealthy through magical means such as “Okeite” is liable to two years’ imprisonment.
He added that anyone who practises Okeite or “ezenwanyi” in the state is liable to six years’ imprisonment.
The court also imposed a fine of N20 million each on counts one, five and eight, amounting to N60 million in total, but waived the fines in view of the remorse shown by the convict.
Justice Obiorah ordered that the 13 months already spent in detention be deducted from the sentence, leaving Nwangwu to serve the remaining 11 months at the Awka Correctional Centre.
The court declined the plea by his counsel to allow him serve the term at the Agunechemba facility, noting that the facility lacked correctional infrastructure.
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As part of the judgment, the court ordered the demolition of Nwangwu’s shrine located in Oba and barred him from practising Okeite upon release.
The court further directed that he must make a public, video-recorded statement denouncing the practice and serve as an ambassador for youth reorientation, cautioning young people against seeking wealth through supernatural means.
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