Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has opened the prison gates for popular native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko tiwara aki, after granting him remission of his remaining jail term.
Nwangwu regained his freedom following the governor’s exercise of his constitutional powers under the Prerogative of Mercy during his visit to the Amawbia Correctional Centre in Anambra State on Friday.
The popular native doctor was convicted in February 2026 on several counts of violating the Anambra State Homeland Security Law and sentenced to two years imprisonment after entering into a plea bargain with the state.
Although Nwangwu was expected to complete his sentence next month, the remission granted by Soludo effectively brought his incarceration to an end, resulting in his discharge from the correctional facility.
The governor’s decision came during a tour of correctional centres in the state, including the Onitsha and Amawbia facilities, where he interacted with inmates and inspected the conditions of the centres.
The Onitsha Correctional Centre currently houses about 739 inmates, making it the largest in the state, while the Amawbia facility accommodates about 602 inmates despite being originally built for only 280.
Welcoming the governor at Amawbia, the State Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Anambra State Command, Ezinne Onuoha, thanked him for visiting the facility.
Explaining the purpose of his visit, Soludo told the inmates that it was part of his routine engagement with correctional centres across the state.
“This is part of my routine visit. After I was sworn in, I visited the Correctional Centres…I have come to see you just to be sure you are okay,” the governor said.
After inspecting the facility, Soludo held a town hall meeting with some of the inmates, including many who had spent years awaiting trial.
The cases involving inmates at the centre included murder, child trafficking, robbery, theft and land-related disputes.
Soludo, who expressed concern over the volume of litigation in the state, said, “Anambra has the second highest number of cases in Nigeria.”
He urged the inmates to use their period of incarceration as an opportunity for personal transformation and acquisition of useful skills.
“The purpose of being here is so you become better human beings…if you finish staying here and do not become a new person, you have missed the idea,” Soludo said.
The governor further assured the inmates that his administration would not abandon them, stressing that they remained citizens with a role to play in building a better society.
“We will never forget anyone. We are all citizens, and we all have a responsibility to make this place a livable city. The objective is to make Anambra and Nigeria better. Society will get better if people become responsible citizens,” he said.
Soludo also encouraged inmates whose cases qualified for the state’s plea-bargaining initiative to take advantage of the process to facilitate the speedy resolution of their trials.
He disclosed that a committee headed by the state Attorney-General, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, had been constituted to review selected cases and recommend inmates who could be considered for pardon or remission.
According to the governor, the committee’s recommendations would be considered next month as part of efforts to address prolonged cases and provide relief for eligible inmates.
