23 Anambra Indigenes on Death Row in Indonesia Over Drug Offences
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has sounded a sobering warning about the consequences of dangerous superstitions and criminal deceit, revealing that 23 Anambra indigenes are currently on death row in Indonesia for drug-related offences.
Speaking during a political rally where former members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in support of his re-election bid, Soludo used the opportunity to call out the rising trend of deceitful native doctors who allegedly convince young people to engage in illicit activities under the illusion of supernatural protection.
“Go to Indonesia—23 Ndi Anambra are on death row for drug-related offences,” Soludo stated, his voice echoing with urgency. “These native doctors deceive our youth with promises of charms that will blind airport scanners. Sadly, many fall for it and end up in prison.”
The governor didn’t mince words, condemning the so-called spiritual practitioners who claim to offer get-rich-quick charms and money rituals—known locally as oke ite. He warned that anyone caught promoting such practices would face legal consequences.
“One of the native doctors we arrested claims he’s just a content creator,” Soludo said with disbelief. “Yet he has misled countless young people into thinking they can become wealthy without lifting a finger—as long as they perform money rituals.”
Soludo pointed out the irony in these con artists’ personal lives, noting that one of the detained native doctors has a son working as a waiter in Nnewi. “If it were that easy, why didn’t he make his son a millionaire?” the governor asked.
Reiterating that his administration is not against traditional worship, Soludo made a clear distinction between genuine cultural practices and dangerous scams.
“We respect true traditionalists—they were among the most morally upright people in our communities. But this new wave of criminal native doctors is something entirely different. They are preying on our youth, and we will not allow that to continue.”
He also criticized the mindset such practices foster among young people. “You now have young men who wake up, go to beer parlours, and sit around drinking, waiting for money rituals to change their lives. This is not the Anambra we want.”
Soludo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to stamping out deceitful practices that endanger the lives and future of the state’s youth.
