Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Native doctors in Anambra State have begun compiling list of fake pastors who allegedly visit their shrines seeking spiritual powers.
This move follows protests against what they describe as the stigmatisation and witch-hunting of their members.
Recall that the native doctors, led by High Priest Ikele, had accused the Anambra State Government of harassing their members, arguing that their constitutional right to freedom of religion was being violated.
They also claimed that the state government had failed to engage with them to help identify the bad actors within their community, stating that the government’s actions were calculated attempt to undermine traditional religion in Igboland.
One of the members, who identified himself as Mazi Chukwuka Nwankwo, announced that the body had started compiling a list of fake pastors in Anambra State.
He alleged that these fake pastors frequently visit their shrines seeking spiritual assistance to increase their church congregations.
“Our governor is preaching ecumenism, which means the union of all religions. We ask, is traditional religion not part of ecumenism?”
“What are we talking about here? Those people who hold night vigils and perform miracles are fake, and they come to us to obtain spiritual powers to increase the size of their congregations. We have always turned them down because it is against our religion to defraud innocent people.”
“There are some who even go as far as other parts of the country to obtain powers and so-called holy oil that they use to push people down in the name of anointing.”
“Governor Charles Soludo should send Agunechemba to those crusades and night vigils to observe what they do in their churches. They rip off innocent people by compelling them to buy holy water, holy oil, and holy handkerchiefs, promising that people’s businesses will flourish. People pay huge sums of money for these items, yet they are not paying taxes or levies to the state government,” he said.
As a result of the growing tension, some pastors are reportedly making frantic efforts to contact security operatives, urging them not to visit their churches, although no security operatives have confirmed this.
Similarly, some native doctors have begun visiting the suspected churches, issuing warnings that they would be exposed since these pastors had failed to speak out in their defense after seeking their help to increase their congregations.
“The Anambra State Government should direct its focus to these new generation churches because they are the worst kind of swindlers. They should also convince us, as well as the public, that they are not out to witch-hunt us, the native doctors,” he said.
