An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced popular native doctor Ekene Igboekweze, popularly known as “Eke Hit,” to 12 years in prison over offences linked to conspiracy, kidnapping, protective charms and money rituals.
Justice Jude Obiora, in a judgment delivered on Friday, sentenced Igboekweze to six years on count one and another six years on count two. The sentences are to run concurrently, without an option of fine, while the period he had already spent in detention was taken into consideration.
Igboekweze and other suspects had been arraigned on April 4, 2025, months before the judgment.
During his defence, the convict told the court that he was a registered herbalist and a member of the Odinani Okija Traditional Association. He maintained that his practice involved the use of herbs and roots and argued that the viral videos that brought him social-media fame were recorded before the enactment of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.
In his judgment, Justice Obiora held that the prosecution had proved counts one and two beyond reasonable doubt, while count three was resolved in favour of Igboekweze.
Before sentencing, “Eke Hit” pleaded for forgiveness and appealed to the court to consider his family, particularly his newborn triplets, whom he said he had not seen since their birth.
His wife, Elizabeth, and half-brother also pleaded for leniency, describing him as well-behaved and kind.
Igboekweze, who hails from Umuofor Village, Okija, in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, was arrested in February 2025 by operatives of the state-backed Agunechemba security outfit alongside two other native doctors.
The arrests followed the signing of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025, which prohibits native doctors from claiming they can make people wealthy through “Oke Ite” and other rituals, as well as preparing charms for criminals.
