Awka – Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, has provided a comprehensive rationale for his administration’s recent and intensified crackdown on individuals posing as religious leaders to exploit the public. Speaking during a high-profile gathering of the Catholic faithful, the Governor framed the initiative as a necessary component of a broader social reformation strategy aimed at protecting the state’s most vulnerable citizens from spiritual and financial predation.
The Governor made these remarks on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral during the celebration of the All Knights Day of the Catholic Diocese of Awka. Addressing a distinguished audience of religious leaders, knights of the church, and political stakeholders, Soludo emphasized that the era of using the pulpit as a shield for criminal activities and deceptive practices in Anambra is coming to an end.
Governor Soludo revealed that the state’s security apparatus has already made significant progress in this specialized operation. He confirmed that several suspected fake pastors—individuals accused of using psychological manipulation, staged miracles, and extortion under the guise of religious ministry—have been taken into custody. According to the Governor, these suspects are currently assisting law enforcement investigators with useful confessions that shed light on the inner workings of organized religious syndicates.
Action forms part of our mission to build a new Anambra free from deception and social vices, Soludo stated. We remain committed to keeping the state clean and clear of practices that weaken our social values. Religion should be a source of solace and moral guidance, not a tool for the exploitation of the poor and the desperate.
The Governor explained that the crackdown is not an attack on religious freedom, but rather an enforcement of law and order. He argued that the proliferation of unregulated and deceptive religious centers often serves as a breeding ground for social vices, including human trafficking, money laundering, and the psychological abuse of residents who are seeking spiritual intervention for their personal challenges.
During his address, Professor Soludo urged Nigerian political leaders and the citizenry at large to exhibit the necessary courage to pursue difficult but essential reforms. He noted that true leadership requires making decisions that favor the long-term common good, even when such decisions are met with temporary resistance from those who benefit from the status quo.
Leadership must favor what is right, Soludo insisted. We cannot afford to look the other way while our people are being deceived and their meager resources are being drained by charlatans. To build a prosperous and livable homeland, we must first ensure that the moral and social foundations of our society are secure.
The Governor commended the Catholic Diocese of Awka for its steadfastness in promoting social justice and resisting the societal decay that often accompanies rapid urbanization and economic hardship. He highlighted the church's role as a moral compass, helping the government to identify and address the root causes of instability within the communities.
Beyond the religious crackdown, Governor Soludo used the platform to praise the growing acceptance and positive impact of the Anambra State Burial Law. The legislation, which was introduced to curb the culture of excessive and competitive funeral spending, has been a cornerstone of Soludo’s social reform agenda.
The law has encouraged befitting living and decent burial for our people, the Governor noted. He explained that by reducing the financial burden of funerals, families are now able to redirect their savings toward education, healthcare, and business investments. He argued that the traditional practice of spending millions on lavish burials while the living relatives struggled in poverty was a social contradiction that the state could no longer ignore.
In a show of support for the church's philanthropic efforts, Soludo approved state backing for the Knights’ scheduled charity visits to various orphanages across the state. He urged the Knights to remain the light of the world by demonstrating the practical application of their faith through service to the marginalized.
In his homily, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, echoed the Governor’s sentiments regarding moral discipline. Represented by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Iheanacho, the Bishop described the call to knighthood not as an invitation to elitism or social status, but as a mandate for sober reflection and extreme accountability.
Knighthood is a call to discipline and a life of sacrifice, the Bishop’s message read. He warned the gathered Knights against distancing themselves from the common man, encouraging them instead to remain connected to society and to serve as humble protectors of the faith and the vulnerable.
The Bishop urged the Knights to preserve their moral voice in an increasingly secularized world, stressing that their primary duty is to stand for truth and justice in their professional and private lives. They must preserve their moral voice while remaining connected to society, he concluded, reinforcing the theme of the day that both the church and the state must work in tandem to sanitize the social fabric of Anambra.
As the ceremony concluded, the consensus among attendees was clear: the government’s move to regulate religious practice is seen as a bold step toward ensuring that the spiritual market in Anambra is as transparent and accountable as any other sector of society. With more arrests expected in the coming weeks, the Soludo administration has sent a powerful message that the business of God must be conducted with integrity or face the full weight of the law.
