By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Government has intensified its crackdown on alleged fraudulent religious practitioners, calling on residents to provide information on pastors and other individuals who masquerade as men and women of God while engaging in criminal activities.
In a public announcement issued on Sunday, the state government said the initiative was an extension of its ongoing campaign against fake native doctors and formed part of broader efforts to combat criminality and restore law and order across the state.
The government, under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, said it was determined to sanitise both traditional worship and religious practices by identifying and exposing individuals who exploit religion as a cover for unlawful activities.
The statement urged Ndi Anambra and other residents with credible information on pastors, churches, or self-acclaimed religious leaders involved in fraud, extortion, deception, criminal practices, or acts capable of endangering lives and public peace to come forward.
It assured members of the public that any information provided would be treated with strict confidentiality.
According to the government, the exercise is not aimed at undermining genuine religious worship but rather at protecting the integrity of faith-based institutions and traditional practices from criminal elements.
The statement noted that criticisms and negative narratives that accompanied the state’s earlier campaign against fake native doctors had proved unfounded, insisting that the initiative ultimately helped to safeguard legitimate traditional worshippers and religious leaders.
“The effort will actually protect the true freedom of traditional worship and religious practice,” the statement said.
The government further appealed to residents to collaborate with authorities in the fight against crime by reporting suspicious activities and individuals hiding under religion, culture, or tradition to perpetrate illegal acts.
It provided dedicated telephone lines — +2348034182108 and 5111 — through which members of the public can submit useful information.
The latest move signals a widening of the Soludo administration’s campaign against what it describes as criminal elements operating under the guise of spiritual and traditional authority in Anambra State.
