Akwa Okuko shrine demolition follows court conviction of celebrity native doctor in Anambra over ritual practices and security concerns

The Anambra State Government on Friday carried out the Akwa Okuko shrine demolition in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, following the conviction of celebrity native doctor Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, by the State High Court in Awka.

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The demolition exercise was executed by operatives of the state security outfit, Agunechemba, under the supervision of the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Ben Emeakayi, shortly after the court judgment.

Security operatives dismantled the expansive shrine structure piece by piece before setting the remains ablaze.

Items recovered at the site included native pots, moulded figures, photographs of individuals, clothing materials and various ritual objects believed to be linked to spiritual activities conducted at the facility.

Earlier on Friday, a High Court sitting in Awka and presided over by Justice Jude Obiora sentenced Nwangwu to 11 months’ imprisonment for involvement in ritual practices popularly referred to as oke ite, alongside related offences.

The conviction followed the arrest of Nwangwu and two other native doctors, identified as Eke Hit and Onye Eze, over allegations bordering on money rituals and preparation of charms allegedly used by criminal elements.

The trio had been apprehended in February 2025, weeks after Governor Soludo intensified a sweeping crackdown on suspected ritual activities through the enforcement of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law and the launch of the Agunechemba and Operation Udo-ga-chi security initiatives.

Government authorities had maintained that the activities of certain native doctors were contributing to rising insecurity across parts of the state.

Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora struck out six of the 10-count charges filed against Nwangwu but convicted him on the remaining counts.

The court noted that the convict had already spent 13 months in detention while awaiting trial, prompting a reduction of his concurrent two-year sentence to 11 months.

In a decisive aspect of the ruling, the court ordered Nwangwu to publicly renounce ritual practices and serve as an ambassador for youth reorientation upon completion of his sentence.

The judgment further directed that the Oba shrine be destroyed and prohibited the convict from engaging in or administering oke ite practices in future.

Justice Obiora also ordered that Nwangwu serve his sentence at the Awka Correctional Centre and publish videos across his social media platforms denouncing ritual charms and related practices after his release.

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Friday’s enforcement action marks one of the most symbolic steps in the Soludo administration’s ongoing campaign against activities authorities believe fuel crime and social instability in Anambra State.