Eight ‘Fake Pastors’ Face Justice In Anambra As Landmark Prosecution Begins

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

EIGHT men accused of posing as pastors have been arraigned before the Anambra State High Court in Awka, in what authorities are calling a major test of the state’s new Homeland Security Law.

The defendants, Peter Chukwu, Chinedu Egwuonwu, Bishop Emeka Nwankpa, Ebele Nnachukwu and Ekeleme Chris Ugochukwu, were apprehended in Onitsha, Awka and other parts of the state.

They were brought before the court on Friday by operatives of Agunechemba, the state’s security outfit.

According to Mr Ejimofor Opara, media adviser to the state governor and a government source, the eight individuals violated the 2025 Homeland Security Law, which the government says was designed to tackle insecurity, fraudulent spiritual practices, and criminal networks operating under various disguises.

The prosecution is being led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke (SAN), a move that underscores the significance the state government attaches to the matter.

The arraignment follows months of investigations and enforcement actions targeting those accused of operating outside acceptable religious and social boundaries.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Mr Opara said: “These individuals have been parading themselves as men of God while engaging in practices that endanger lives and exploit the vulnerable. The Homeland Security Law gives us the tools to act, and act we will.”

The case has already attracted considerable public attention across Anambra and beyond, coming on the heels of last year’s crackdown on native doctors accused of promoting get-rich-quick schemes.

Several of those individuals have since been prosecuted and convicted, while others remain on trial.

Legal observers note that Friday’s arraignment marks one of the most significant legal actions taken under the relatively new security legislation.

The Anambra State Government has been running an ongoing campaign to sanitise the religious and traditional sectors, which authorities claim have been increasingly infiltrated by individuals encouraging criminal behaviour through deceptive spiritual practices.

The case has been adjourned for further hearing, with the eight defendants remanded pending a bail application expected to be filed by their legal representatives.

Speaking after proceedings, the Attorney General, Mr Nweke (SAN), told journalists: “This is not about religious freedom. It is about criminality dressed in clerical robes. The people of Anambra deserve protection from those who exploit faith for fraud.”

The defendants have yet to enter formal pleas, and the court has ordered that they remain in custody while investigations continue.

Credit: Stonix News