Anambra Native Doctor Arrested After ‘Power Test’ Yields No Result

A native doctor based in Nnewi, Anambra State, identified as Johnpaul Ezenagu, popularly known as “Mmuo Mmili Afulu Anya,” has been arrested by operatives of the Anambra State Agunechemba Strike Force over alleged involvement in illegal rituals and the supply of fake currency to internet fraudsters.

Ezenagu was apprehended during a raid on his residence in Nnewi carried out by operatives led by Ken Emeakayi, the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security.
During the operation, the suspect reportedly led the security team to a water shrine where the rituals were allegedly performed.
Authorities said the raid followed claims by the suspect that he could summon a water goddess believed to appear in the form of an alligator. However, when he was asked to demonstrate the alleged powers through a series of invocations, no visible manifestation occurred.
Reacting to the development, Emeakayi condemned the activities of individuals he described as “fake native doctors” who deceive and mislead young people in the state.
He emphasized that the Anambra Homeland Security Law is currently in force and warned that anyone found violating the law would be handed over to the police for prosecution.
Meanwhile, Governor Charles Soludo has intensified a crackdown on native doctors suspected of aiding criminal activities in the state. The government clarified that the action is not directed at genuine practitioners of traditional medicine or religious beliefs, but at those promoting fraudulent rituals or assisting criminals.
As part of the initiative, the governor signed a homeland security law in 2025 which criminalises the preparation of charms for criminal purposes, including “Odeshi,” believed to make users bulletproof, and “Oke-ite,” commonly associated with money rituals.
Under the law, offenders risk prison sentences ranging from six to 20 years. The government has also introduced a mandatory registration process for all native doctors, requiring them to declare the types of ailments they treat in order to curb deceptive spiritual claims.
Several prominent practitioners have already been arrested in the course of the crackdown, including Chukwudozie Nwangwu, Onyebuchi Okocha, and Ekene Igboekweze. Nwangwu was later sentenced to 11 months in prison, while his shrine located in Oba was demolished by the Agunechemba security outfit following a court order.