Akwa “Okuko” Bags 11 Months, To Serve as Youth Ambassador

Akwa-Okuko Tiwalu Aku coming out of court on Friday

The Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka on Friday sentenced a native doctor, Mr. Chigozie Nwangwu, also known as “Akwa-Okuko Tiwalu Aku,” to six years’ imprisonment on multiple counts.
However, he is to serve 11 months in prison, having already spent about 13 months in detention.

About 13 months ago, Nwangwu was arrested over the alleged operation of Oke-Ite ritual practices and for allegedly misleading Anambra youths and members of the public with claims of money-making schemes.
Out of the 10-count charge brought against him, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice Jude Obiora, struck out six counts and upheld four.
The court initially imposed a total sentence of six years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N60 million fine, which was to run concurrently. However, following a plea bargain agreement admitted in evidence, the court reduced the six-year sentence to two years.
According to Justice Obiora, the convict had already spent 13 months at an awaiting-trial facility under the Agunechemba Security Squad. Consequently, the concurrent two-year sentence was further reduced to 11 months’ imprisonment, taking into account time already served.
The court also ordered Nwangwu to publicly denounce his ritual practices through videos to be posted across all his social media platforms.
As part of the judgment, he is to serve as a Youth Entrepreneurship Ambassador for the state. In that capacity, he is required to produce videos and reports discouraging youths and other members of the public from seeking wealth through Oke-Ite and other ritual practices.
Additionally, the court ordered the destruction of his shrines and the confiscation of all materials allegedly used in the practices prior to his arrest.
Reacting to the judgment, his defence counsel, Syllables Ogwuedom Iwuoba, Esq., described it as a plea bargain judgment, noting that the defence had entered into an agreement with the Anambra State Government.
“Yes, there is no way I will tell you that I am not okay with it because it is a plea bargain agreement,”
“That was the agreement we signed with the government when we agreed on the issue of plea bargain, and the government kept to its own side by sentencing him to 11 months’ imprisonment. That is our agreement with the government.”
“How would there be room for appeal when we consented to it?”
“We made a bargain with them, so it is a consent judgment that we agreed to, and there is no need to file an appeal,” he explained.