The judgment was delivered by Justice Jude Obiora, who found Nwangwu guilty on counts 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, sentencing him to two years imprisonment on each count.
However, the court struck out counts 1, 2, 9, and 10. Justice Obiora ruled that the sentences would run concurrently, meaning the native doctor will not serve them separately.
The judge noted that Nwangwu had already spent 13 months in detention at the Agunechemba Facility. As a result, he is to serve only 11 additional months at the Awka Correctional Centre under the Nigerian Correctional Service.
In a significant part of the ruling, the court ordered that Nwangwu’s controversial shrine located in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, must be completely demolished.
Justice Obiora further directed that the demolition process be fully recorded on video as part of official documentation.
Beyond imprisonment, the court imposed several corrective measures on Akwa Okuko, including:
Signing a formal undertaking never to engage in okite practices again
Becoming a youth ambassador to discourage illegal wealth acquisition
Using all his social media platforms to publicly declare that he no longer practises okite
The judge stated that these measures were aimed at correcting the harmful influence the convict had on young people.
Justice Obiora disclosed that he initially considered imposing ₦20 million fines on three additional counts instead of six-year jail terms prescribed by law. However, the fines were waived after the court observed Nwangwu’s remorseful conduct during detention.
Meanwhile, two of Nwangwu’s associates — Onyebuchi Okocha, popularly known as Onyeze Jesus, and Ekene Igboekweze, also called Eke Hit — remain in detention as investigations continue.
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