Justice Jude Obiora sentences the popular herbalist to six years behind bars without a fine
An Anambra State High Court in Awka sentenced popular native doctor Ekene Igboekweze to six years in prison. Justice Jude Obiora convicted the herbalist over kidnapping and money ritual offences. Operatives arrested him in February 2025 under the new homeland security law.
A tense courtroom in Awka fell silent as the judge delivered a decisive ruling against a popular herbalist. Justice Jude Obiora sent Ekene Igboekweze to prison for six years without any option of a fine.
Igboekweze built a massive online following under the street name Eke Hit. He regularly promoted ritual charms that promised instant wealth to young clients across social media platforms. However, state security operatives ended his reign during a targeted crackdown in February 2025.
Crackdown On Ritual Charms And Kidnapping
Agunechemba security operatives tracked down and arrested Igboekweze alongside two other native doctors in early 2025. The arrests enforced the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 against fraudulent herbal practices.
The law strictly bans herbalists from preparing protective charms for armed criminals. It also forbids public claims that rituals like Oke Ite can produce sudden riches. State prosecutors formally arraigned Igboekweze on three criminal counts on April 4, 2025.
Defence Arguments And Court Verdict
Igboekweze defended his work as an authentic member of the Odinani Okija Traditional Association. He insisted that he recorded his promotional videos before lawmakers passed the security law.
Justice Obiora held that prosecutors proved the charges of conspiracy and illegal charms beyond reasonable doubt. The court cleared him on count three but imposed six years each on the first two counts. Both terms run concurrently, while his previous time in detention counts toward the final sentence.
Emotional Plea For Newborn Triplets
Igboekweze broke down in the courtroom and begged the judge for total forgiveness before the final sentence. He pleaded for his newborn triplets, whom he claimed he had never seen with his own eyes.
His wife, Elizabeth, and his brother also stepped forward to plead for leniency before the court. They described him as a man of good character and his mother’s only son. Nevertheless, the judge upheld the sentence to deter others from using charms to support criminal acts.
