By Chuks Collins
There’s palpable tension and fears within the ranks of native doctors and traditional medicine practitioners in Anambra State, particularly within Ojoto community, Headquarters of the Idemili South Council Area of the State as police apprehend non-registered and uncertified practitioners.
The problem, according to Chief Anthony Uzokwe, was due to the invasion of the community’s sacred shrines/groves, locations and centres by some persons parading as native doctors.
Unfortunately these characters were unknown to the native doctors, the law or the community. Chief Uzokwe is the chairman of native medicine practitioners in Ojoto. He tendered their registration/certification by Idemili South LGA and the State Government, as well as their formal identity cards. Hence all the practitioners in Ojoto were duly registered and officially accredited.
Shockingly, Chief Uzokwe stated, “..these uncertified persons jolted Ojoto residents who woke to observe they have invaded all our sacred groves, shrines, streams, centres performing some disturbing ritualistic acts and incantations.
“These, we gathered were in the process of spiritual cleansing of the community. The yet to be identified spiritualists and actors had on Monday, Jan 6,2025 gone to strategic locations in the community to perform some rituals against the initial directive of Igwe Gerald Mbamalu.
The activities of these unknown spiritualists were however truncated midway as one of their leaders identified simply as Ejike Muokwe was arrested by police operatives from Zone 13 Ukpo.
Others including Emmanuel Okonta are now on the run, while others retreated the moment news filtered into the community that security operatives have moved in to effect their arrest.
Uzoke pointed out that the unknown elements had days earlier stormed the community with a terse message through a town-crier of their plans to embark on spiritual cleansing at strategic locations.
The development according to him was strange as Otu Omenana Ojoto, a body of government registered, accredited and certified native doctors were not informed of such an important event.
Uzokwe noted that, “we are the custodians of such matters, the sacred locations/shrines and calendar in Ojoto.
“There was no misunderstanding amongst us or disagreement or meeting where such issue was discussed or planned…”
The executives consequently rallied round, expressing deep worry and concern that seeming unknown elements were invading Ojoto to carry out an important general spiritual cleansing which we performed not long ago.
An executive officer of the practitioners, Chief Ifeanyichukwu Anadi,(Ikenga) expressed concern that the issue has lingered for long, especially when we assembled publicly before all Ojoto citizens to take oath of clean, transparent and healthy practice. Most of the people doing this ran away and refused the public oath.
Another member, Sunday Okonkwo bemoaned the unknown bunch, lamenting the seeming tacit support by the community leadership.
He urged Gov Chukwuma Solido to wade in the matter immediately to stop it from festering.
More so, that Mbamalu had through the instrumentality of the community’s security vigilante group restrained us from continuing with it. They had in clear terms told us that such were not allowed in Ojoto.
They were therefore surprised to see these unknown elements descecrating our cherished places of traditional worship and reverence without notice.
Efforts to speak with Igwe Mbamalu at the time of filing this report yielded no fruits as his telephone lines were off in the past 2 days.
When approached for comments, the Senior Police officer who led the operations from Zone 13, Ukpo said that it was too early. ” We are still investigating. The Media and the public would be briefed appropriately in due time.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Ikenga Tochukwu said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.
