The uninformed, believes Nollywood’s depiction that all Dibia (Igbo native doctors) are the same and evil. Dibịa is not synonymous to killing and poisoning of one.
It is true, some dibịa out of greed began to misuse their powers negatively. The greediness in them made them leave their roles to perform all kinds of dirty jobs such as preparing charms to kill somebody or causing accident to one.
The functions of dibịa afa include asking questions to know what the spirit world is saying. To inquire from the ancestors what could be the problem of a man. They find solutions to problems.
Killing, was never the intent of establishing the Igbo institution of dibịa. Igbo dibịa is not meant to help one to make money unto ọgwụ ego as nollywood depicts. Dibịa na-agwọ otoro o kowere ike ya n’elu? If a dibịa can make you rich why is he not rich?
Some Igbo dibịa have gone to other places outside Igbo land to get charms and act badly but that was never the purpose of institutionalization of dibịa.
A careful study of their modes of operation, will show that there is specialization and each is consulted for a specific need. No Dibia has it all in his goatskin bag, but in some cases, there is a combination of two or more spiritual talents in one Dibia.
When you visit a Dibia with issues that’s not within his area of competence, he will refer you to another, who has solution to that which you seek. It is only a fraudulent one, that will claim he cures all things.
Dibịa Anwansị:
He is more of a magician. He performs different signs and wonders.
This kind of dibịa in the olden days prepared charms for warriors or village wrestlers to win their opponents. They have a great power to perform signs. They are magicians.
But Dibia nsi is the “baddest” juju priest and always in a bad location.
Dibia Mgbọrọgwụ na Mkpakwụkwọ, Dibia ogwu: This kind of dibịa can be said to be a herbalist. Everything they use in healing are natural-roots, herbs and bark of trees. He is the real native medical doctor.
Dibia Ọhụụ: Ọhụụ is vision. The work of this dibịa is to see visions. They can tell you immediately you meet them the cause of your problem and what might happen to you if you don’t do this or that. They don’t kill.
Dibia Aja: he is the priest that sacrifices and cleans taboos. Any kind of sacrifice is performed by dibịa aja. He is the one who would slaughter chicken, goat to perform sacrifices. He does not kill. His work is to do sacrifice and do atonement, pour libation for the land to be healed.
With additional information from; https://www.igbotic.net/dibia-is-not-native-doctor-the-roles-of-dibia-in-igbo-land-a-historical-and-descriptive-approach/
https://re-entanglements.net/tag/dibia/
Nollywood contributed a great deal to bastardising our cultural practices.