By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced another popular native doctor, Ekene Igboekweze, popularly known as “Eke Hit,” to six years’ imprisonment, in the latest judgment arising from the state’s prosecution of controversial traditional practitioners accused of promoting unlawful wealth-making practices.
The court, presided over by Justice Jude Obiorah, delivered its judgement on two out of the three-count charges brought before it against the convict.
Although the full details of the charges are still sketchy, Eke Hit was sentenced on Friday, September 17, barely one year and eight months after his arrest by the Anambra State Government on February 11, 2025.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the court sitting, the defense counsel, Chief Emmanuel Egbunonu, said the court sentenced him to six years each on the two charges (making it a total of 12 years).
He, however, explained that the two sentences would run concurrently, meaning that he would serve the two at the same time.
The defense counsel further said the sentences could also come with a fine of N20 million each (totalling N40 million for the two charges, in addition to the jail terms).
However, he said the court later had mercy on him and waived the fines after pleas from his wives and relatives who were also present at the court. Consequently, the convict will serve for six years and will not pay fine.
This was corroborated by video from the court showing Eke Hit’s wife and relatives crying as he was being ushered into a waiting vehicle after the court delivered its judgement.
Igboekweze (Eke Hit), who has a strong presence on social media where he had built a public profile around his activities as a native doctor, became one of the prominent figures caught up in the Anambra State Government’s crackdown on practices it considers capable of promoting criminality, ritual activities and fraudulent claims of supernatural wealth.
His conviction comes after a lengthy court process that has kept the case before the Awka division of the Anambra State High Court for more than a year.
The matter also attracted considerable public attention, given that he was being prosecuted alongside two other well-known native doctors, Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly called “Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki,” and Onyebuchi Okocha, also known as “Onyeze Jesus.”
The trio were arrested in 2025 and subsequently arraigned before the High Court over allegations connected with money rituals, “Oke-Ite” practices, claims of supernatural wealth creation and the preparation or provision of charms allegedly capable of aiding criminal activities. They all initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The cases, however, later took different directions. Nwangwu (Akwa Ọkụkọ) was convicted after entering into a plea bargain with the state and was sentenced in February 2026, while Okocha (Onyeze Jesus) was subsequently convicted in July and handed a six-year prison term alongside a N20 million fine. Reports from those proceedings showed that the court did not convict Onyeze on every allegation brought against him, but found him guilty on the charge relating to misleading members of the public through claims of supernatural wealth creation.
Eke Hit’s own case continued separately as he maintained his defence against the allegations. During proceedings earlier in the trial, he reportedly told the court that he was a registered herbalist and traditional healer and denied engaging in “Oke-Ite” rituals or preparing charms for criminals.
He also reportedly disputed the prosecution’s interpretation of some of the videos circulated on social media, arguing that some of the material being relied upon was old content created before the enactment of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law.
The prosecution, however, challenged his account and relied on video evidence presented before the court, which also served as parts of the proofs upon which the court delivered its judgement.
