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An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced a popular native doctor, Ekene Igboekweze, popularly known as “Eke Hit”, to 12 years in prison over money ritual-related offences.
Justice Jude Obiora sentenced Igboekweze to six years each on counts one and two, with the terms to run concurrently and without an option of fine. The court also took into consideration the period he had already spent in detention.
Igboekweze and other suspects were arraigned on April 4, 2025, on charges bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, protective charms and money rituals.
During his defence, Igboekweze told the court that he was a registered herbalist and a member of the Odinani Okija Traditional Association. He said he used herbs and roots in his practice, adding that the videos that brought him social-media fame were recorded before the enactment of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.
Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora held that the prosecution had proved counts one and two beyond reasonable doubt, while count three was resolved in favour of the defendant.
Before sentencing, Igboekweze pleaded for forgiveness and urged the court to consider his family, particularly his newborn triplets whom he said he had not yet seen.
His wife, Elizabeth, and half-brother also appealed for leniency, describing him as well-behaved and kind. They told the court that he was his mother’s only son in a polygamous family and had maintained good character.
Igboekweze, from Umuofor Village, Okija, in Ihiala Local Government Area, gained popularity on social media for advertising charms purportedly capable of bringing wealth.
He was arrested by Agunechemba security vigilance operatives in February 2025 alongside two other native doctors, following the signing of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
The law prohibits native doctors from claiming to make people wealthy through “Oke Ite” and other rituals, as well as preparing charms for criminals.
