The Anambra State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke (SAN), has said the early release of convicted native doctor Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as ‘Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki,’ was made possible by a plea bargain that reduced his sentence before Governor Chukwuma Soludo exercised his constitutional Prerogative of Mercy.
Nweke made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday through the Office of the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, urging defendants who acknowledge their guilt to consider plea bargain where appropriate.
He said the legal option not only helps offenders receive reduced sentences in deserving cases but also promotes restitution for victims and eases pressure on correctional facilities.
Akwa Okuko, a popular Anambra-based native doctor, was prosecuted by the state government as part of its crackdown on criminality and the activities of native doctors accused of promoting crime through charms and money rituals.
He was eventually convicted after entering into a plea bargain with the state and began serving a custodial sentence.
Last week, Governor Soludo granted him an early release by remitting the outstanding portion of his prison term under the constitutional prerogative of mercy.
The state government said the decision also enables him to participate in its youth reformation and reorientation campaign, a commitment it said formed part of the plea bargain agreement.
The governor’s decision drew public attention because it came before Nwangwu completed his sentence.
A cross-section of Anambra people have also taken to social media to attack the rationale behind the governor’s release of the former native doctor, especially considering the basis for his conviction.
According to the Attorney General, Nwangwu’s plea bargain resulted in a shorter prison term after his conviction, while his expression of remorse, the brief period left on his sentence and other considerations later informed Governor Soludo’s decision to remit the remaining unserved portion of his imprisonment.
“The plea bargain indirectly paved the way for the prerogative of mercy and became a remote benefit of the plea bargain,” Nweke said.
Nweke said plea bargaining offers several advantages within the criminal justice system, including non-custodial sentences in some cases, shorter prison terms where imprisonment is imposed, and opportunities for restitution or compensation to victims.
He added that the Soludo administration is mainstreaming plea bargaining as part of efforts to decongest correctional centres across the state and improve the administration of justice.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice has already received about 150 applications for plea bargains since launching a statewide awareness campaign two months ago, with the requests currently being processed by the ministry.
