Some of the self-proclaimed native doctors and prophets cannot even use their so-called powers to improve their own lives.
The activities of fake native doctors in Anambra State and their influence on youths have been the subject of renewed alarm from Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State.
Soludo claimed that the use of charms and talismans by false native doctors and prophets deceives young people into taking numerous risks, such as the belief that they can circumvent security checks when smuggling drugs.
Soludo claims that these indigenous physicians and prophets deceive young individuals by asserting that they can create charms that render airport scanners insensitive to drug trafficking.
Soludo said, “These young people would believe them, and today, many of our people are languishing in jail across the world. Go to Indonesia, 23 Anambra youths are on death row there for drug-related offences.”
The protest that was organized by followers of a preacher who was detained by the Agunechemba security agency was another thing that Soludo addressed.
Asserting that the pastor is not responsible for the claims that have been made against him, the demonstrators asserted that he does not make charms for criminals.
He said, “We don’t arrest anybody without being sure of what he has done without having concrete evidence.
“Some of the self-proclaimed native doctors and prophets cannot even use their so-called powers to improve their own lives.
“Son of one of them, who is in detention, is a waiter in a hotel in Nnewi. If it were that simple, why didn’t he make his son a millionaire?
“That particular pastor also claimed that he is just a content creator. But he has used things like this to deceive our young people that you can become rich without doing any work, as long as you do money rituals.
“That is why you see young people who wake up in the morning and retire to beer parlours drinking, hoping to get rich later in life without hard work or preparation.”
Any native doctor who was detected promoting false claims would be jailed, according to Soludo, who stated that such ideas were harmful to the mentality of young people in the state.