By Sebastine Okafor, Ph.D.
When Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo banned some activities of traditional medicine practitioners and directed all to register with the government in January 2025, many saw it as a welcome development owing to the high level of abuse of the profession by some practitioners, as is always seen on social media platforms. In his directive, he ordered them to specify their areas of specialization, e.g., curing specific illnesses, while also telling them to stop deceiving youth with money rituals and their effects without any recourse to hard work.
Governor Soludo, in March of that same year, also banned preaching in public places—especially by the roadside—by preachers who use loudspeakers in public spaces, particularly markets. In the banning order, he accused them of causing noise pollution and disturbing residents, and set a fine of ₦500,000 as a penalty for defaulters.
What has shocked many is the selective application of these rules. This is because the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 banned the use of charms, “Okeite,” and “Eze Nwanyi” rituals in public spaces to curb crime, fraudulent practices, and environmental contamination.
The law, from our assessment, ignored fake adoration and healing centers that use the name of God to deceive the people and perform fake miracles. It is clear that the Governor is favoring one religion over another, owing to how he pursues these traditional practitioners. In truth, some are fake while some are real, just as is obtainable in the Christian religion.
We have seen many situations whereby pastors, priests, and evangelists claim to perform miracles that they never did, which is popularly called “Arrangee.” This “Arrangee” also manifests during testimonies, and nothing is done to the perpetrators in the same way it is done to those who do the same in the name of traditional practice.
Governor Soludo, who has been seen several times talking about the verifiability of the claims made by native doctors, hasn’t done anything about those who do the same from the altar.
In Anambra State alone, there are thousands of churches, prayer houses, healing homes, and adoration grounds scattered across towns and villages. Many of these centers openly advertise miracles such as instant healing, financial breakthroughs, and supernatural deliverance. Large billboards, social media broadcasts, and flyers promise solutions to problems ranging from sickness to poverty. Yet, there has been little or no attempt by the government to demand proof of such claims.
A simple question many citizens are asking is this: if native doctors are required to register and clearly state the illnesses they can cure, why are pastors and miracle workers not required to do the same? If a traditional practitioner is arrested for claiming spiritual powers that cannot be verified, should the same rule not apply to religious leaders who publicly claim to raise the sick, remove curses, or multiply wealth?
Reports from different parts of Nigeria show that the miracle industry is a large enterprise worth billions of Naira yearly. Offerings, tithes, seed sowing, and special miracle services bring huge financial returns to some religious centers. In many cases, desperate citizens spend their last savings hoping for divine intervention that does not exist or will not come.
It is therefore important that the government treats all forms of spiritual claims equally. If the fight is truly against deception and exploitation of the people, then the same standard must apply to everyone. Selective enforcement creates the impression that one belief system is being protected while another is being targeted.
For fairness and justice, the state must show neutrality. The law should not only focus on traditional practitioners but also examine religious centers where unverifiable miracles and arranged testimonies continue to influence thousands of vulnerable people daily. Only through equal enforcement can the public truly believe that the fight against deception is genuine and not selective.
It is believed that the government is bais even in the enforcement of the law banning christian activities and selective in that of traditional practices