By Ekene Okafor
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has issued a stern warning to youths against falling for deceptive claims by self-styled native doctors who promise instant wealth through rituals or charms. The governor made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving decampees from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in support of his re-election bid.
Soludo decried the influence of so-called native doctors who, under the guise of traditional religion, deceive young people with promises of supernatural wealth and immunity from law enforcement — particularly in cases involving drug trafficking and crime.
“Go to Indonesia — 23 Ndi Anambra are on death row there for drug-related offenses,” the governor lamented. “These native doctors deceive our youths with charms, claiming they can blind airport scanners. Today, many of our young people are suffering in foreign prisons because of this dangerous lie.”
The governor reiterated his administration’s crackdown on criminal native doctors, noting that over 40 individuals have been detained for allegedly preparing charms for criminals, including kidnappers, and promoting money rituals.
While some critics view the crackdown as an attack on traditional religion, Soludo clarified that his administration respects genuine traditional worship. “We are not against traditional religion practitioners,” he said. “What we are fighting is criminality disguised as culture.”
Highlighting the hypocrisy of these fraudulent practitioners, he added: “One of the arrested native doctors has a son working as a waiter in Nnewi. If it were so easy to become rich, why hasn’t he helped his own family?”
Soludo emphasized the need to promote hard work and integrity among Anambra youths. “If anyone claims they can make you rich without working, tell us — we’ll arrest him and bring him to Awka. If he succeeds in making one person a millionaire, we’ll line up the whole of Anambra for him. I will join the line too — because I need money,” he joked.
He condemned the culture of laziness and false hope promoted by these individuals, which, he said, has led many youths to a life of idleness and despair. “This must end,” Soludo stated. “Our focus is to build a society where wealth comes from innovation, effort, and integrity — not deceit.”
The governor’s remarks come amid a broader effort by his administration to instill discipline, restore ethical values, and ensure that the youth are guided toward productive, lawful, and sustainable means of livelihood.
