Two weeks after their arrest, native doctors in Anambra State have not been able to vanish or free themselves.
Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, one of the prominent native doctors in the state, Despite his reputed mystical abilities, Nwangwu remains detained and unable to secure his release through any alleged supernatural means.
Nwangwu was apprehended on February 8, 2025, by operatives of the state security outfit
The same situation is playing out with Agunechemba, in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.
The arrests followed Governor Charles Soludo’s December 2024 directive to crack down on native doctors purportedly aiding criminal activities in the region.
During an interrogation led by Deputy Governor Onyeka Ibezim, Nwangwu denied involvement in ‘Oke Ite’ rituals, a practice alleged to involve illicit activities. He stated, “I stopped doing ‘Oke Ite’ a long time ago. That thing is not a charm. We only called it ‘Oke Ite’ because we put it in a pot.”
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned Nwangwu’s arrest, labeling it illegal and a violation of his fundamental rights. IPOB’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, emphasized that the detention infringes upon freedoms of thought, conscience, religion, and expression as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.