Abuja: Dr. John Metchie, Traditional Prime Minister of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), has raised concerns over the influence of fake native doctors in Anambra, asserting that they have led numerous youths astray into committing serious crimes. Metchie, who also serves as the Deputy Commander-General of the Nigeria Forest Security Service, shared his insights during an interview with newsmen in Abuja, where he highlighted the deceptive practices of these individuals.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Metchie expressed his appreciation for Governor Charles Soludo’s efforts in addressing the moral decline among the youth, driven by a desire for quick wealth. He noted that the situation in Anambra would have worsened without the governor’s timely intervention. Metchie pointed to a distressing incident involving 23 natives of Anambra, who are now on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, attributing their plight to the misleading assurances of fake native doctors, which the governor has actively condemned.
Governor Soludo recently addressed this pressing issue, blaming the rise in drug trafficking and other criminal activities on deceptive native doctors, whose practices have been banned by his administration. Soludo emphasized the alarming trend of young people falling prey to such scams, misled by promises of supernatural safeguards against law enforcement. He has called for his mandate to be extended for another term to build upon the reforms aimed at improving Anambra’s societal and economic status both nationally and internationally.
Metchie also highlighted the governor’s commitment to safeguarding Anambra’s social values, despite the challenges posed by those seeking to undermine them. Soludo had revealed that those facing execution in Indonesia had been duped into believing that charms could bypass airport security, a myth perpetuated by fraudulent native doctors. These revelations have spurred Soludo to draw a distinct line between authentic traditional practices and deceitful schemes, warning that purveyors of false spiritual claims and wealth schemes will face arrest. He reaffirmed that true traditionalists of the past were known for their integrity, and any deviation from this path would not be tolerated.