Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state says native doctors mislead young people with promises of supernatural protection for illegal activities such as drug trafficking, cyber fraud, and kidnapping.
Speaking in Awka, the governor said native doctors have caused significant harm to the youth by misleading them into believing that with the help of local charms, they can engage in illegal activities to make money.
According to him, thousands of Nigerian youths are languishing in foreign prisons due to the lies and influence of native doctors.
“They make Oke-Ite for these youths, assuring them that they could pass security checkpoints undetected with hard drugs. But once they are caught, they end up in jail. When that failed, they turned to cyber fraud, and when that too failed, they became kidnappers in search of easy and quick money.
“This cannot continue to happen in Anambra State,” he said.
Soludo also disclosed that currently, over 30 suspected native doctors and pastors are under investigation as part of the state government’s efforts to sanitize and restore law and order in the state.
He further revealed that since the crackdown, many native doctors have fled the state, while those who relied on their concoctions fear their charms might become ineffective due to the detention of their makers.
The governor also announced that his administration has confiscated many ‘Oke-Ite’ pots, adding that they will be subjected to forensic analysis.
“Many Oke-ite are now in our custody, and the only thing that can save their owners is if forensic tests show no traces of human blood.
“If traces of human blood are found, the owners will face severe consequences,” Soludo stated.
The governor emphasized that his dream is to make Anambra a destination point where people will love to live and do legal business.
He urged everyone living in Anambra, irrespective of tribe, ethnicity, and religious background, to work together to make the state a hub for commercial and industrial development.