Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has granted a pardon to jailed native doctor Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, and appointed him as the state’s Ambassador for Youth Reformation.
The governor signed the order for Nwangwu’s immediate release on Friday during a visit to the correctional facility in Amawbia, Anambra State. Soludo also expressed his willingness to work with the native doctor towards the betterment of the state.
Nwangwu had been serving a prison sentence after his conviction over offences connected with the promotion and practice of “Oke-ite” and related rituals. According to reports, he was initially sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by the Awka High Court, with part of the sentence running concurrently with the period he had already spent in custody, leaving 11 months to be served.
Punch reported that Nwangwu was convicted in February following a plea bargain after pleading guilty to charges related to the practice of Oke-ite and other related matters. The court also ordered the destruction of his shrine in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
Nwangwu was among eight native doctors arrested in 2025 following the enactment of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025. The arrests were part of the state government’s efforts to address practices it associated with money rituals, quick-wealth schemes and the use of human parts for ritual purposes.
Following his conviction, Nwangwu was incarcerated at a Nigeria Correctional Service facility in Amawbia. As part of the conditions attached to his sentence, he was required to renounce his fetish practices and accept a role as an ambassador for youth reformation.
His acceptance of the conditions subsequently paved the way for his new role following the governor’s decision to exercise the prerogative of mercy.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Youth Reformation, Dr Nelson Omenugha, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Friday. He described the governor’s intervention as an example of the administration’s approach to youth reformation, emphasising correction, restoration and the provision of a new purpose rather than punishment alone.
The appointment means that Nwangwu, who had previously built a significant following on social media through his activities as a traditional practitioner, will now be expected to use his public profile in support of the state’s youth-reformation efforts.
The governor’s decision also comes amid continued government attention to traditional practices and activities that authorities believe can encourage criminality or exploit young people seeking quick financial success.
Nwangwu’s case had attracted public attention because of his social-media presence and the circumstances surrounding his arrest and prosecution. His supporters had previously portrayed him as a traditional practitioner, while authorities linked the activities for which he was prosecuted to practices prohibited under state law.
The pardon, however, does not erase the circumstances that led to his conviction. Rather, it brings his period of incarceration to an early end under the governor’s prerogative of mercy and places him in a public-facing role focused on youth reformation.
The development marks a notable shift in Nwangwu’s circumstances—from a convicted inmate serving a custodial sentence to an appointee expected to participate in efforts aimed at influencing young people toward lawful and productive activities.
