Monarch in Delta State, His Royal Highness, Epiphany Azinge, the Asagba of Asaba has banned a particular group of female spiritual native doctors known as Ezenwanyi from Asaba, the Delta State capital following the kidnapping and subsequent killing of Anambra State lawmaker, Justice Chukwunenye Azuka whose suspected killers’ kingpin was traced to a shrine in Delta State.

Honourable Azuka whose remains was laid in state at a special plenary session inside Anambra State House of Assembly Complex in Awka on Friday was kidnapped on his way home for Christmas on December 24, 2024 and his lifeless body was found near River Niger Bridge earlier this month.

The Asagba of Asaba who spoke in a local dialect said it has become necessary to ban Ezenwanyi and other ritual practitioners due to their alleged involvement in the rising crime rate in Asaba and its environs.

In a press statement aside the verbal pronouncements and announcement of the ban, the Executive council of the traditional rulers in Asaba stated that: “Arising from the Asagba Executive Council meeting held today, 11th February 2025, it is hereby directed that, effective immediately, all the activities of Ndi Eze Nwanyi who are not natives of Asaba are totally banned. All male native/traditional medicine practitioners who are not registered with the apprioprate bodies will not be allowed to practice in Asaba.

Also, effective immediately, non natives of Asaba are hereby restricted from visiting the Onitshe shrine. All non-natives who wish to assess the Onitshe shrine must be registered by the Otu-Ihaza. Ndi Ahaba who wishes to visit/worship at Onishe shall get clearance from Otu-Ihaza. This is to enable close monitoring of those who visit the shrine. There will be severe consequences should anyone flaunt these royal directives.

Long live His Royal Highness, Asagba Professor Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge, Asagba Ahaba”.

While translating and interpreting the words of the Asagba of Asaba, Punch Newspaper reported that; “this decision follows reports linking the murder of an Anambra lawmaker – whose body was discovered on the Niger Bridge – to native doctors and a shrine in Asaba.

Expressing deep concern, the monarch emphasised that crimes committed within Asaba directly impact its residents more than anyone else.

He stressed that the ban on these native doctors was a proactive measure to curb crime.

“Let it be on record that we support the government at all times. However, while supporting the government, there comes a time when we must take proactive steps. Anything that happens in Asaba affects us directly,” he stated.

“It is distressing to hear that Asaba has become the focal point of these criminal activities. As a result, we have decided to take measures to ensure peace and order in our land.”

The monarch declared that the activities of Eze-Nwanyi practitioners, particularly those not originally from Asaba, were now banned.

He described their growing presence as troubling and their activities as “nefarious.”

“The murder of the Anambra lawmaker points to Asaba, where money was cleared, and where the shrine harboring the kingpin was located. These native doctors seem to be aiding not only internet fraudsters (Yahoo Yahoo boys) but also kidnappers and other criminals. Therefore, we are banning them effective immediately.”

Furthermore, the monarch announced that all native doctors operating within Asaba must now register and be regulated.

He stated that they would require clearance from the Otuhas, the governing legislative body of Asaba, before being allowed to operate.

In addition, restrictions have been placed on visits to the shrine of the Asaba deity, Onishe.

The monarch noted that the shrine was being desecrated and misused for questionable purposes.

“Henceforth, no one – whether an indigene of Asaba or not—may visit the shrine without prior approval from the Otu-Ihaza.”

The traditional ruler also raised concerns about the increasing influx of unknown individuals into Asaba, which he attributed to displacement from other areas.

“We no longer know who resides in Asaba. Many criminals now see Asaba as a safe haven, moving into various parts of the city to continue their unlawful activities. Therefore, we are launching ‘Operation Know Your Tenants’ in Asaba.”

Under this initiative, landlords are required to maintain proper documentation and an inventory of all tenants.

This measure, according to the monarch, will enable security agencies to swiftly identify individuals living in any particular building when necessary.

“This initiative will help ensure that those who have crossed over into Asaba do not find it easy to reside here. We want them to know that they can be identified and located at short notice.”

Additionally, the Asagba announced plans to deploy a palace-appointed team to inspect hotels and review guest records.

He stated that the palace was already collaborating with security agencies to strengthen enforcement.

“We are committed to working with security agencies to ensure that criminals do not find refuge in Asaba. We will also be monitoring hotels to verify the identities of guests. These measures are necessary to restore order and safeguard our land.”

The monarch’s pronouncements mark a significant step in Asaba’s efforts to combat crime and enhance security within the community”.

It would be recalled that the lifeless body of Justice Azuka, the member representing Onitsha North One Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly was found by security operatives near the Second Niger Bridge with police saying the suspects behind the kidnapping and killing of the lawmaker were mostly between the age of 19 and 20; with some members of the public identifying one of the suspects to be 16 years old who only have an advanced or matured face and body structure that makes him looks older than his age.

Azuka was reportedly kidnapped on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunaobankpa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha, while returning home for Christmas.

He was abducted at gunpoint in a swift operation that lasted less than five minutes, according to Punch Newspaper.

The lawmaker, a chieftain of the Labour Party, reclaimed his mandate following a court ruling that nullified the victory of Douglas Egbuna of the Peoples Democratic Party, who was initially declared the winner of the 2023 election.

Immediat past Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Enaghe Obono Itam while parading the suspects behind the abduction and killing of the Anambra State Lawmaker, Justice Azuka, stated that in the early hours of 6th February 2025 at the second niger bridge, the Joint Security team comprising of the Police and AVG Operatives on a mission to rescue the abducted Honourable State House of Assembly member representing Onitsha North, Honourable Azuka, found his lifeless body.

Adding that the Command Operatives in a joint operation with Anambra State Vigilantes acting on intelligent-led information arrested Nine suspects actively involved in the crime and recovered two pump action guns.

The former CP said one of the suspects sustained a gunshot injury in his leg during a gun duel with the Police operatives.

The arrested suspects include: Ugochukwu Onuorah aged 30 years, Ikemefuna Ossai aged 20 years, Ikenna Orugu aged 27 years, Chibuike Obiefuna aged 19 years, Chinonso Olisa aged 19 years years, Chinedu Okoli aged 21 years, David Ojini aged 25 years and the most notorious of them, one Peter Sunday aged 20 years with a big tattoo inscription of No peace 4 d Government on his chest.

We had previously reported that the New Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu on Monday visited the scene of crime to condole with the family of 3 siblings that were killed and kept inside the fridge at Nnewichi in Nnewi area of Anambra State while their mother was away for work at Ihiala, this as the State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo with the Deputy Governor, Gilbert Onyekachukwu Ibezim being the Operational Commander always leading mostly indigenous team of special security operatives known as Agunecheba to invade and arrest Babalawos or Spiritual native doctors under the practice of Okite, a claimed spiritual practice of printing banknotes which investigations have since unraveled to be false; most especially as wrongly propagated by Nigeria movie industry; Nollywood which human beings are seen in some of their movies to be vomiting banknotes as a sign of money ritual, although, investigations have shown that there is no spiritual or ritual process that print banknotes but what criminally minded Babalawos or Spiritual native doctors do, is to prepare a charm known often in Igboland as Okite to enable the applicants including traders with legitimate businesses to be able to start committing more crimes like internet frauds or Yahoo yahoo, selling fake products, cheating customers, kidnapping, armed robbery, among other numerous inhuma crimes that makes the applicants to get rich quickly.

We had reported that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor has called out Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo over the arrest and detention of a well known native doctor always on social media, Chidozie Nwangwu aka ‘Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, accusing the governor of violating the rights to religious practice of the suspect as guaranteed by Nigeria Constitution, this, as Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo goes harder on Babalawos, witch or spiritual native doctors fuelling insecurity in the state most especially those under the religious practice of Okite or Ezenwanyi that are widely believed to be responsible for the encouragement of people into kidnapping, organs harvesting, money rituals specifically rampant cases of stolen babies and boyfriends killing girlfriends for money ritual purposes: with investigation indicating that some dangerous crimes in Anambra are committed by Teenagers, Minors or Underaged children often misled and manipulated into the inhuman crimes by elderly ones, forcing the Anambra State Government to enact a new law that is tagged Homeland Security Law 2025 that came into effect on January 17, 2025 which banned anyone from advertising or showcasing on social media or any public place his or her supernatural powers to make people rich without any lawful means of legitimate business, forbids any spiritual native doctor from using their powers to perfect magical bullets proof for people to commit crime in the state and strictly stipulated 25 years imprisonment with no option of fine for any spiritual native doctor that requires human parts or blood to administer charms or protection to anybody in the state.