Following disturbing news about a native doctor named Onyeka Obu, also known as Ezeani, who was accused of burying people alive, including a pregnant woman, for ritual purposes, the Enugu State Government has taken quick action. The goal is to stop dangerous spiritual activities and criminal acts connected to fake spiritual powers.

On June 4, Governor Peter Mbah sent a new bill to the Enugu State House of Assembly. The bill is called “Maintenance of Internal Security, Vigilance and Order” and it is meant to help improve safety and control harmful traditional practices.

The proposed law will ban money rituals, which are commonly called okite, as well as charms believed to protect people from bullets, known as odeshi. It also targets the use of spiritual claims for illegal purposes.

If this bill becomes law, traditional healers like native doctors, herbalists, and spiritual women known as ezenwanyi must register with a state agency. Those who refuse to register may face a fine of between one and five million naira, or spend up to two years in prison, or face both punishment and fine.

The bill also says that anyone who performs charms or rituals to help commit a crime or to gain wealth through supernatural means can be punished with up to six years in prison or a fine of five million naira. Anyone claiming to have spiritual powers will also have to prove it during any investigation.

It will be a serious crime to use churches, shrines, or other religious places to carry out ritual killings, kidnapping, or any kind of crime. If caught, the person could be sentenced to twenty years in prison with no option to pay a fine. Any house, land, or property used in such crimes will also be taken by the government.

The Enugu State Government is working to stop illegal and harmful rituals by making laws that punish spiritual crimes and protect the public from dangerous practices.