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 Ambassador for Youth Reformation in the state.
Soludo signed an order for Nwangwu’s immediate release on Friday and said he would work with him towards the development of Anambra State.
The development followed Nwangwu’s conviction earlier this year after he pleaded guilty to charges connected with the practice of “Okeite” and other related offences.
Nwangwu was convicted in February by the Awka High Court and sentenced to 11 months in prison following a plea bargain.
The court also ordered the destruction of his shrine in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
He was among eight native doctors arrested in 2025 after the Anambra State Government enacted the Homeland Security Law 2025.
The native doctors were prosecuted over alleged involvement in the promotion of money rituals, quick-wealth schemes and the use of human parts for ritual purposes.
Following his conviction, Nwangwu was taken to the Nigeria Correctional Service facility in Amawbia to serve his sentence.
As part of the conditions of his sentence, he was required to renounce his fetish practice and commit to supporting youth reformation efforts.
Nwangwu accepted the conditions and had been serving his sentence before the governor exercised his prerogative of mercy to secure his release.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Youth Reformation, Nelson Omenugha, announced the pardon and appointment in a statement on Friday.
Omenugha said Soludo made the decision during a visit to the correctional facility as part of his official engagements.
According to him, Nwangwu’s new role will see him participate in the state’s youth reformation programme, which seeks to discourage practices considered harmful to young people and promote more productive pathways.
“This is the heart of Youth Reformation: not just punishment, but correction, restoration, a new purpose and a new Onye Anambra,” Omenugha said.
He also thanked Soludo for extending what he described as a hand of mercy to Nwangwu and giving him a new responsibility.
“Thank you, Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, for graciously extending your hand of mercy to Chidozie Nwangwu (Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki) and giving him a new responsibility as Ambassador for Youth Reformation,” he said.
The governor, according to the statement, also pledged to collaborate with Nwangwu for the betterment of Anambra State.
Nwangwu’s case had attracted considerable attention following his arrest in 2025 alongside other native doctors as the state intensified its campaign against alleged ritual activities and quick-wealth schemes.
His pardon and subsequent appointment now move him from serving a custodial sentence to taking on a public-facing role in the state’s youth reformation programme.
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