Stop Polluting Our Waters with Rituals, Soludo Warns Native Doctors

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has issued a stern warning to native doctors in the state, urging them to stop polluting rivers and streams with ritual practices. Speaking in Awka while addressing members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the governor expressed concern over the growing environmental and health risks associated with these activities.

Soludo emphasized the importance of protecting the state’s water sources, which serve as a lifeline for many communities. “Stop contaminating our rivers and streams with ritual practices in the name of ‘Odinani’ (tradition). Many people rely on that water for drinking, cooking, and other household needs. If you must perform rituals, use a container—like a bucket—and carry out your practices there. Do not pollute public water sources. Polluted water can make people sick, and we do not want that for our communities,” he said.

The warning comes amid an ongoing crackdown on criminal elements posing as traditional healers. While some have criticized the government’s actions as an attack on indigenous religion, Soludo clarified that the state is not targeting traditional worshipers but rather those using the guise of tradition to commit fraud and promote crime.

He called out deceptive native doctors who promise quick riches to young people, warning that such falsehoods have led many to ruin. The governor cited disturbing statistics, noting that a significant number of Nigerians on death row in Indonesia for drug-related offences are from Anambra State. He blamed fraudulent native doctors for misleading youths with claims of charms that could make them invisible to airport scanners while trafficking drugs.

“These native doctors will deceive you that they will prepare an ‘invisible’ charm that will make it impossible for scanners at airports to detect trafficked drugs. These young people believe them, and today, many of our people are languishing in jails across the world,” he said.

Governor Soludo urged residents to support efforts to cleanse the state of criminal activities and focus on raising children with the right values. He stressed that success can only come through hard work, discipline, and determination—not through shortcuts or spiritual manipulation.