Anambra Govt Demolishes ‘Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki’ Shrine After Court Jails Native Doctor 11 Months
“The Anambra State Government on Friday demolished the Oba shrine of controversial celebrity native doctor, “Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki,” just hours after a High Court in Awka sentenced him to 11 months imprisonment over ritual-related offences. The dramatic enforcement action underscores Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s intensified crackdown on practices allegedly linked to insecurity in the state.”
A High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State capital, has sentenced popular native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, widely known as “Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki,” to 11 months imprisonment over offences connected to ritual practices popularly referred to as “Oke Ite.”
The judgment, delivered on Friday by Justice Jude Obiora, was swiftly followed by the demolition of the convict’s expansive shrine located in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.
Operatives of the state-backed security outfit, “Agunechemba,” supervised by the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Ben Emeakayi, carried out the demolition exercise.
Eyewitnesses said the structure, which housed ritual pots, moulded images, clothing items, photographs, and other objects allegedly used in spiritual activities, was dismantled and later set ablaze.
Justice Obiora, while delivering judgment, struck out six of the 10-count charges filed against Nwangwu but convicted him on the remaining counts.
According to the court, the native doctor had already spent about 13 months in detention under the “Agunechemba Security Squad” awaiting trial. Consequently, his sentence was adjusted to 11 months imprisonment, to run concurrently.
Part of the ruling read:
“He will become an ambassador for youth re-orientation. His Oba shrine is to be destroyed. He will no longer practice ‘Oke Ite’ nor administer such charms.”
The court further ordered that upon completion of his jail term at the Awka Correctional Centre, Nwangwu must publicly denounce ritual practices through video statements to be posted across all his social media platforms.
Nwangwu was arrested in February 2025 alongside two other native doctors, identified as Eke Hit and Onye Eze, over allegations bordering on money rituals and preparation of charms allegedly used for criminal activities.
The arrests came weeks after Governor Soludo signed the Anambra State Homeland Security Law and declared a sweeping crackdown on native doctors suspected of enabling criminal elements. The move led to the launch of special security operations, including “Agunechemba” and “Operation Udo-ga-chi.”
State authorities had maintained that certain ritual practices were contributing to rising insecurity in parts of Anambra.
The demolition of the Oba shrine marks one of the most high-profile enforcement actions since the security law came into effect.
