Court Jails Native Doctor 6 Years, Slams N20m Fine for Fraudulent Spiritual Claims

An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced a self-acclaimed native doctor and prophet, Onyebuchi Okocha, widely known as “Onyeze Jesus,” to six years’ imprisonment and imposed a ₦20 million fine for fraudulent spiritual practices carried out in violation of the state’s Homeland Security Law. Justice Jude Obiora delivered the judgment on Friday, convicting Okocha on one of three counts filed against him by the Anambra State Government. The self-styled spiritualist had been in detention for about one year and six months following his arrest in February 2025 as part of a statewide crackdown on native doctors and spiritualists accused of promoting ritual practices and criminal activities.

Okocha was initially charged with three offences: promoting wealth through supernatural means on social media, engaging in “Oke-Ite” spiritual rituals, and operating alleged money-doubling schemes. He was prosecuted under Section 18 of the Anambra Homeland Security Law 2025, which prohibits individuals from deceiving members of the public with claims of supernatural wealth creation or preparing charms intended to aid criminal activities. Justice Obiora ruled that Okocha admitted being the person featured in viral social media videos and acknowledged ownership of the social media accounts used to promote claims that wealth could be acquired through supernatural means rather than through legitimate work. The judge held that the defendant’s messages encouraged the belief that wealth could be acquired through unlawful spiritual practices, an offence prohibited under the law. However, the court discharged and acquitted Okocha on the remaining two counts, ruling that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to sustain allegations relating to ritual killings and money-doubling practices. According to the judge, no witness testified to benefiting from the alleged practices, and no evidence was presented to prove the claims beyond a reasonable doubt. Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora stated: “Individuals who claim supernatural powers capable of making people wealthy through prohibited practices or preparing charms outlawed by the Anambra Homeland Security Law are liable to imprisonment and financial penalties”. The court sentenced Okocha to six years in prison with an additional fine of N20 million—the maximum punishment prescribed under the law.

READ ALSO:

• She Was Already Married: Man Tells Court How He Spent Millions on Facebook Wife
• Mother of Henry Nowak’s Killer Jailed for Three Years for Removing Murder Weapon
• Dangote Refinery Raises $2.5bn, Eyes Africa’s Biggest IPO in August

Before sentencing, an emotional Okocha broke down in tears and briefly slumped in the dock while pleading for mercy. He told the court he had already spent about one year and six months in custody following his arrest and appealed for leniency, describing the case as his first criminal trial. “My Lord, please temper justice with mercy because this is my first offence and the first time I am having a court case. Since February last year that I was arrested and have been in custody, I do not know the whereabouts of my wife and my twin children who depend on me as the breadwinner,” he said. He further told the court that three widows who depended on him had died while he was in custody because there was no one to care for them. Despite his emotional plea, Justice Obiora held that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others promoting unlawful means of wealth acquisition.

Confirming the judgment on Friday, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, described the ruling as a significant step in the government’s efforts to curb criminality linked to deceptive spiritual activities. According to Mefor, Okocha was prosecuted alongside other prominent spiritualists, including Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, and Ekene Igbonekwu, also called Eke Hit, following a statewide crackdown on alleged ritual practices and fraudulent spiritual claims. While Akwa Okuko accepted a plea bargain and received a concurrent two-year prison sentence earlier this year, Onyeze Jesus opted to stand trial and was handed the maximum punishment prescribed under the law. Meanwhile, proceedings involving another suspect, Eke-Hit, were adjourned to September 26, after both the prosecution and defence adopted their written addresses. Mefor reaffirmed the Soludo administration’s commitment to enforcing the Homeland Security Law, warning that fake pastors, self-proclaimed prophets and rogue native doctors who violate the law would continue to face prosecution. He said: “We believe that the sentencing and the fine as prescribed by the law and the number of years to be spent in custodial facility is quite in order and it will serve as a deterrent to others”.

The court also confirmed that seven pastors earlier arraigned under the same law remain in custody pending the determination of their cases. These pastors were arrested for allegedly orchestrating ‘arrangee’ miracles—staged divine interventions designed to defraud people by hiring paid actors to perform fake miracles. “The arraigned pastors are in detention as directed by the Court and they will continue to have their days in custody until they are found guilty or discharged by the Court,” Mefor said.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has consistently maintained that although his administration respects traditional religion and lawful cultural practices, it will not tolerate individuals who exploit spiritual beliefs to promote fraud, kidnapping, internet fraud, ritual killings or other forms of crime. During a media briefing earlier this year, Soludo said: “We have made this very clear over and over again that we understand traditional religion… We also understand the difference between the traditional religion and criminal idolatry. We support freedom of worship, freedom of religion. Anybody can worship the way you want, provided you realise that your own right ends where the other person’s own starts. Where your own practices and preaching now breed criminality, that is where we come in”. The governor noted that some native doctors were involved in preparing charms for kidnappers and armed robbers, and that it is the duty of the state government to stop diabolical rituals that have given rise to evil practices such as ‘Ego Mbute,’ ‘Oke-Ite,’ ‘Yahoo Plus,’ and idolatry.

Following the judgment, Okocha was remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre to begin serving his prison term. His lawyer, Chief Bathlome Ezedinobi, said the defence would obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding on the next legal step. “According to the Court he was given maximum sentence and we shall apply for the Certified True Copy of the judgment and we look into it and then know the appropriate steps to take. According to the law, the sentence can run concurrently and he was sentenced in count 1 and discharged in count 2 and 3,” he said.

Court Jails Native Doctor 6 Years, Slams N20m Fine for Fraudulent Spiritual Claims

She Was Already Married: Man Tells Court How He Spent Millions on Facebook Wife

A man identified as Badmus has approached the Grade A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking the dissolution of his marriage to his wife, Shadia, whom he met on Facebook. He has accused her of being deceitful, diabolic, troublesome, and a threat to his life. Badmus, who resides in the United Kingdom, told the court that Shadia misrepresented herself at the start of their relationship, claiming to be a single parent with two children. He stated that he invested heavily in the relationship, only to discover that she was already married and that her marriage was still intact.

According to Badmus, he proceeded to marry Shadia in a traditional ceremony, paying N100,000 as her bride price. He claimed that she subsequently employed diabolic means to manipulate and siphon money from him. He took on the responsibility of caring for her two children, enrolling them in an expensive private school and covering all their fees. He further claimed to have established four different businesses for her, all of which she allegedly ruined due to her extravagant lifestyle, and also helped her complete the construction of her house.

READ ALSO:

• Mother of Henry Nowak’s Killer Jailed for Three Years for Removing Murder Weapon
• Dangote Refinery Raises $2.5bn, Eyes Africa’s Biggest IPO in August
• Justice Served: Two Men to Die by Hanging for Rape, Murder of Anambra Teenager

The plaintiff made a particularly startling allegation, stating that he spent N6,000,000 in an attempt to have a child with Shadia. He told the court that a medical report later revealed that a scissors had been forgotten inside her womb during a cesarean operation performed when she gave birth to her second child. This discovery was presented as part of his grievances regarding the marriage.

Badmus explained that their relationship began to sour after he refused Shadia’s request to accompany him back to the UK. He claims he had been upfront with her from the beginning that he already had a first wife residing there. The “cat was let out of the bag,” in his words, when he transferred money to Shadia and a man called him. The man, who identified himself as Shadia’s husband, questioned him about the transaction. This revelation confirmed his suspicions that Shadia had been dishonest about her marital status.

Following the discovery, Badmus alleged that Shadia took possession of documents for his property, insisting he share his assets with her. He also claimed she began threatening him, which took a severe toll on his health, leading to high blood pressure that requires medication. In his testimony, Badmus stated: “She has not ceased threatening me. I reported her at the police, she was cautioned but she refused to stop. Shadia’s misbehaviour has hampered my health. I am hypertensive and on drugs.” He has prayed the court to dissolve the union and is also seeking a restraining order against her.

Shadia was notably absent from the court proceedings despite being served with court summons. The court president, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, has adjourned the case for judgment.

She Was Already Married: Man Tells Court How He Spent Millions on Facebook Wife

Justice Served: Two Men to Die by Hanging for Rape, Murder of Anambra Teenager

Justice U.I. Ndigwe of the Anambra State High Court, Ogidi Division, has handed down a capital punishment verdict against Elochukwu Belonwu and Chukwuebuka Ofokwu, convicting them on three counts of conspiracy, rape, and murder in the brutal death of 17-year-old Jennifer Anene. In a judgment delivered on Friday in Suit No. HID/23C/2021, the presiding judge ruled that the prosecution had established the guilt of both defendants beyond every reasonable doubt. The court described the convicts’ actions as a violation that “desecrated societal values” and demanded full accountability under the law.

The tragic incident began on November 25, 2020, when Jennifer Anene, a 17-year-old girl described by the prosecution as being mentally impaired, was reported missing by her grandfather, Elder Pius Anene. Her disappearance triggered a desperate search by family members, which ultimately uncovered a horrifying crime. According to the prosecution, led by Principal State Counsel Florence Abadom-Igweike, the family’s worst fears were confirmed three days later when a crucial eyewitness came forward — the wife of the first defendant.

The prosecution told the court that the first defendant’s wife revealed she had personally witnessed her husband, Elochukwu Belonwu, along with other men, sexually assaulting the teenage girl while she screamed for help. This testimony became a central piece of the state’s case. However, when confronted by the victim’s family, Belonwu denied the allegations and attempted to deflect blame, claiming he had last seen the deceased in the company of the second defendant, Chukwuebuka Ofokwu.

READ ALSO:

• Messi says facing Lamine Yamal in World Cup final after iconic baby photo is ‘crazy’
• Man Uses Hot Pressing Iron on Daughter’s Private Part for Bedwetting
• I Spent N2.2m for Habila’s Strange Illness, Says Umahi

The prosecution further narrated that a mutual friend of the defendants, identified only as Akpuchukwu, later brought the unconscious teenager back to her home and immediately fled the scene. Despite intensive efforts, Akpuchukwu remains at large, and his whereabouts are still unknown to authorities. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital on the instruction of the police, but medical personnel confirmed she was dead on arrival.

A postmortem examination conducted on the deceased revealed devastating injuries consistent with aggravated sexual assault, including multiple bruises and vaginal tears. These findings were tendered in court alongside the police investigation report and photographic evidence from the crime scene. The prosecution called two key witnesses: the victim’s grandfather and the investigating police officer. Both gave compelling testimony that helped establish the sequence of events. In a notable twist, the eyewitness — the first defendant’s wife — declined to testify in court despite being properly served with a court summons. Nevertheless, the prosecution argued that the remaining evidence was sufficient to secure a conviction.

The two defendants testified in their own defense, maintaining their innocence and denying all allegations of rape and murder. However, Justice Ndigwe was not persuaded by their claims. Delivering the final judgment, the judge held that the prosecution proved all three counts — conspiracy, rape, and murder — beyond a reasonable doubt. The court sentenced both men to death by hanging on all counts, sending a strong message against sexual violence and homicide in the state.

This ruling is one of several recent high-profile sexual assault cases in Anambra State, underscoring the judiciary’s growing resolve to impose severe penalties on perpetrators of gender-based violence. Legal observers have praised the judgment as a step toward justice for vulnerable victims, particularly those with mental impairments who are often at greater risk of exploitation. As of this report, the third suspect, Akpuchukwu, is still being sought by law enforcement agencies, and authorities have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward.

Justice Served: Two Men to Die by Hanging for Rape, Murder of Anambra Teenager