The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, has announced that proponents of Oke-Ite and Odieshi magic may be employed by the state government if forensic tests clear them of any criminal involvement and prove their practices effective.
According to Mefor, those found innocent would be employed in the state’s revenue and security sectors.
Mefor spoke at a stakeholders’ partnership town hall meeting organized by the Anambra Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF) in collaboration with RULAAC, with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) program, implemented by the International IDEA.
Oke-Ite is a ritual practised for quick financial gain, while Odieshi is a charm believed to offer protection against gunshots or bullets.
As part of efforts to sanitize Anambra State of crime and criminalities, top proponents of these magical acts have been arrested and detained for investigations.
Mefor revealed that many of these magicians are currently in detention and undergoing forensic investigation.
“If, at the end of the investigation, nothing incriminating is found about their art and craft, we will employ them,” Mefor said.
“Proponents of Oke-Ite will be employed in our revenue sector to generate revenue for us, while the Odieshi adherents will be employed in our security after testing them with our own AK-47 rifle.”
“However, if the tests fail and something incriminating is linked to their practice, they will face prison. This is in line with the Anambra State 2025 Homeland Security Law.
Mefor emphasized the state’s commitment to restoring core Igbo values, including hard work, fear of God, respect for elders, and human dignity.
He also condemned the use of human parts in rituals by some fake pastors and native doctors.
Uche Ajulu Okeke, a former Nigerian Consul General in South Africa, urged the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo p to submit a death penalty and public executions bill to the State House of Assembly to combat crime.
“The countrywide escalation of crime is exacerbated by the absence of the death penalty and the routine recycling of death row criminals by politicians for nefarious electoral activities,” Okeke said.
The State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, who delivered a lecture on the Anambra State Homeland Security Law, assured the former Nigerian Consul General that her suggestions had been noted and would be considered as necessary.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center (RULAAC), praised the establishment of the Agunechemba security outfit by the Anambra State government as an audacious move by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
“We welcome the bold and audacious steps taken by the Governor of Anambra State in confronting crime and insecurity in the state,” Nwanguma said.
