An Anambra State High Court in Awka has convicted popular native doctor Onyebuchi Okocha, widely known as “Onyeze Jesus,” sentencing him to six years in prison and ordering him to pay a ₦20 million fine for violating provisions of the Anambra Homeland Security Law.
Justice Jude Obiora, who delivered the judgment on Friday, found Okocha guilty on one of the three counts filed against him following his arrest during the state government’s clampdown on suspected native doctors in February 2025.
The prosecution accused the defendant of using social media to promote claims that spiritual powers could make people wealthy, preparing charms allegedly used by criminals, conducting “Oke-Ite” rituals and engaging in money-doubling activities.
After reviewing the evidence, the court ruled that only the allegation relating to misleading the public with claims of supernatural wealth creation had been established beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Obiora noted that Okocha admitted appearing in the viral videos circulated online and acknowledged ownership of the social media accounts used to publicise the controversial claims.
According to the court, the convict projected the belief that riches could be obtained through mystical means instead of legitimate labour, an act prohibited under the state’s security law.
However, the judge dismissed the remaining two charges, holding that the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence linking Okocha to ritual killings or proving that anyone benefited from the alleged money-making rituals.
In delivering the verdict, Justice Obiora stated that individuals who falsely promote supernatural methods of acquiring wealth or prepare charms prohibited by the Anambra Homeland Security Law are liable to both imprisonment and financial penalties.
Before the sentence was pronounced, the native doctor pleaded for mercy, telling the court that it was his first criminal case.
He said he had remained in custody since his arrest and expressed concern over the welfare of his wife and twin children, whom he described as financially dependent on him.
Okocha also claimed that three widows who relied on him for support had died during the period of his detention because there was no one to care for them.
Reacting to the judgment, defence counsel Sir Bath Okafor Ezedinobi said the legal team would obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding whether to challenge the conviction.
He observed that although the court imposed the maximum punishment on the count for which his client was convicted, Okocha was discharged on the two remaining charges.
Also commenting on the ruling, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, described the judgment as a major validation of the state’s Homeland Security Law.
According to him, the sentence sends a strong message to individuals who exploit spiritual claims to deceive members of the public with promises of instant wealth.
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Mefor insisted that the law is not directed against traditional religion or legitimate cultural practices but against activities that encourage criminality and create the false impression that wealth can be acquired without honest work.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration to enforcing the law against anyone found engaging in prohibited practices.
The commissioner also disclosed that seven pastors previously arraigned under the same legislation remain in custody pending the conclusion of their respective trials.
Meanwhile, proceedings involving another native doctor, popularly known as “Eke-Hit,” have been adjourned until September 26, after both the prosecution and defence adopted their final written submissions before the court.
