Stop Persecuting Traditional Medicine Practitioners, Activist Tells Soludo

A human rights activist, Mr. Martins Nwabueze, has urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to stop making native doctors scapegoats in his administration’s fight against criminality.

Nwabueze, founder of Tilova for Africa, a charity and equal rights group based in the United States, criticized the governor’s call for native doctors to prove the ailments they cure as a way of distinguishing genuine practitioners from fraudulent ones.

According to Nwabueze, many native doctors are herbalists, but not all are traditional medicine practitioners. He emphasized that traditional medicine, like orthodox medicine, includes various specialties, and practitioners should be profiled and judged based on their specific areas of expertise.

He explained: “In traditional Igbo society, a native doctor may not necessarily be a herbalist or a traditional medicine practitioner. It is this misunderstanding that leads Soludo to insist that a ‘dibia’ must prove what diseases he cures to be considered genuine.”

He further clarified that not all dibia treat ailments—some focus on divination (Igba afa), spiritual consultations (Ilu agwu), and other non-medicinal practices.

Nwabueze raised concerns about the criteria the government uses to identify genuine and fake practitioners, stating that evidence—not religious identity—should guide arrests and prosecutions.

“Anybody linked to crimes should be arrested and prosecuted based on evidence, regardless of their religious beliefs or social affiliations,” he said.

He criticized the selective treatment of native doctors, pointing out that pastors linked to suspicious activities are not subjected to the same scrutiny.

“Is Soludo going to gather his own ‘dibia’ and stage a contest between their powers, like the biblical story of Pharaoh and Moses? And why are some pastors not in custody pending investigations to determine which are quacks?” he asked.

Nwabueze called on the Soludo administration to adopt more practical measures to address youth criminality and social vices through:

Support Soludo to restore total security in Anambra – Information Commissioner urges PGs
Leadership by example

Education

Job creation

Public enlightenment campaigns

Fighting corruption and drug abuse

He urged the government to prioritize addressing the drug abuse epidemic affecting youths in Anambra State over targeting online native doctors who create content.

“We must stop persecuting traditional religion practitioners simply because they are in the minority. It is unfair and unjust,” he asserted.

He concluded by advocating for equal treatment of all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, health status, race, or segxwal orientation.

Posted: at 20-02-2025 09:36 PM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero

Oh shut up !! so you are safe in the US and talking trash. Dont you hear of missing heads and brest everywhere? Soludo is getting it right and other states should follow suit.

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Posted: at 21-02-2025 08:13 AM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero