Na “juju”!!! A popular Nigerian statement that is often connected to ANY successful achievements or lack of it in anyone’s life… On the football pitches; the winning team is accuse of using the juju, black magic or voodoo to control the ball. The politicians are said to be engaged in different diabolic rituals to win the elections, many a happy homes are seen as a control chain by the dutiful housewife using “Love charms” to control the husband and the in-laws. The work environment, the market places, friends with benefits, within the extended family cycles, obtaining juicy contracts and so on are considered to be under the controlling influence of juju. Laggard people who procrastinate all their lives and consequently missing out in achieving any good in life refuse to take the blames; feeling sorry for themselves by explaining away their misfortunes and attributing it to the “village people” for controlling their destiny and blocking their progress in life but never ever looking within themselves for an honest self check to find out the real reasons that are responsible for their lack of progress and success in life.
The Nigerian magic spell, spiritual powers and control is popularly refer to as “JUJU” but generally for those that believe in and practice witchcraft, voodoo, black magic and psyche hypnosis refer to it as the supernatural powers of the Spirits. Juju is a Nigerian traditional rituals involving native deities and the juju priests who heads all juju oath takings and sacrifices. It is practiced alongside Nigeria major religion of Islam and Christianity by the worshipers. All around the world, Nigerians are known as a very religious people; compassionately spiritual but still imbibing their traditional beliefs with their dominant religious faith for the prevention and protection of any attacks from any unforeseen evil fate. The use of charms are often tagged juju which can be manipulated for good and evil against or in favor of the wishes of the selfish heart; the Nigerian juju to the practitioners is much more controlling than chains biding the victims to a destiny that is as dangerously evil as the valley of death. The juju items most often used for charms are so difficult to sort, rare, and to use items which are best known to the juju priests such items includes bones of rare animal species, any body hair, bones, flesh and sands from graveyards, bathing water of corpses, shells of the under water species, exotic plants, and roots, cascading water flow from the highest rock formations, the lists are endless, many of such items are believed to possess the magical powers to manipulate destinies by taking advantage of the victims, or seekers psychological and emotional trauma in achieving their goals of chaining and controlling both the victims and the seekers destiny through the capture of the brain psyche to control the mind, body and soul.
A very common spiritual belief all over Nigeria is the “juju” practiced for various reasons far beyond human reasoning’s which is mostly done for selfish and greedy reasons. In Nigeria Even though, religion plays an important role in all aspect of life by the dominant Nigerian religion of Islam and Christianity but it is often inter-laced with the practice of traditional religion. Traditional juju worshippers of the various deities, and idols either in public or private shrines are generally known to be attired in red, black or white garments depending on their “clique”; holding candles and chanting incantations. The riverbanks are popular places for the presentations of unimaginable sacrifices of animals, blood, food items, clothing items, money, and native drinks. Where prayers are made to the supernatural powers of the gods and goddess of the waters for blessings. The Yoruba of western Nigeria believe that the power to grant wishes comes from the river goddess and at such take-away are often presented to worshippers as a talisman, charm, or juju to grant them all desires of their hearts. Sacrifices to the waters comes in different forms such as white doves, food items, money and other items as demanded by the juju priest. The combination of the dominant Nigerian religion does not deter a lot of traditionalist from going to the mosque and churches but sees no wrong in asking and seeking for favors from the supernatural spirits. It is a very well known facts that most religious leaders, powerful leaders and traditionalist always keep a piece of the juju on their person which is hidden from prying eyes. Whilst others are known to perform all sorts of cleansings and purification with spiritual concoctions either at the shrines or inner chambers in their homes just before stepping out to face that political rally, meetings, interviews or business. A lot of Nigerians see no difference between the traditional beliefs, Islam and Christianity which to them each is all about worship of a supreme being as long as connecting the missing links in their lives is achieved. The worshippers of the oceans and seas would always take a souvenir home to keep as a relic of juju protection, seeing it as the gifts of the “blessed” water from the god and goddess of the oceans and seas; believing that it is the solution to all life problems.
The juju priest is generally the head of deity worshippers, a knowledgeable priest in native spiritual medicines and magic, having powers to make the impossible possible, to do and undo on the command of the “supernatural spirits”, who assist individuals to accomplish great fortune, magically authorizes consents and agreement; all are done at a fee or percentage of gains as a required payment for services rendered whether successful or not but when successful as a show of gratitude the benefactor rewards the juju man with more gifts.
The practice of traditional and spiritual beliefs in Nigeria involves all tribes, uniquely distinct according to their customary way of life, the ranking of the strongest and powerful juju by the tribes in Nigeria is impossible because what work for a tribe in the eastern parts might not work for the other tribes in the western parts of Nigeria and vice versa, same also applies all across other regions. It is a very strong belief in Nigeria that a “juju missiles” packaged and sent to a rival or perceived enemy never reaches its destinations because it can never successfully cross over the oceans and seas which is believed to be so powerful in neutralizing the potency of the juju. Whilst others are of the belief that an innocent, good, kind and beautiful soul can NEVER be harm by a juju missile; it is always return back, hence the phrase “back to sender”. Consequently, the same evil hands that prepared and performs the evils and then fails to achieve evil destruction is also the same hands that will run around searching and seeking for retribution forgetting that Karma NEVER forgets a FACE.
The Different Types Of Juju:
In Nigeria most tribes practiced the juju all within kingdoms and all across communities, a practice by community leaders to protect their land from intruders and invaders coming in to attack or declare war, various folktales has it that powerful royal fathers are known to appear(visible) and disappear(invisible) before enemies with juju charms called “layar Zanna” in northern Nigeria; a magical acts to protect their land and people by the use of supernatural powers to ward off attacking enemies, avert disasters and wars.
A lot of Nigerian traditionalists, religious leaders, powerful rulers, Juju men and priests are of the belief that juju is just like a “coin” with two sides; perceiving it as having a good and bad effect depending on its outcome, hence the “good and bad” juju practices. The juju priest applications are in forms of amulets, charms and concoctions that are formulated into various forms with the use of animal skins, skulls, bones, blood, fur, cowries, coins, bark of trees, roots, leaves, and plants for herbal concoctions. A lot of fetish myths are attributed to such juju charms made into rings which are popularly called the “touch and follow rings”, believed to place anyone it touches under a spell of a trance-like state by hypnotizing the victim to follow and obey any instruction until the spell or hypnosis is broken. The “Magun” juju is another deadly customary practice by the Yoruba of western Nigeria, a strange tradition of “magun” in Yoruba means “do not climb”; a charm or black magic done as a precaution to curb promiscuity and adultery. In the Nigerian culture, adultery and promiscuity is frown upon and seen as a taboo, a disgraceful and forbidden social ill against the family, culture and community. The culturally oriented parents and spouses place the juju magun on their daughters to keep them from being promiscuous; Often used on unfaithful spouses to “caught them in the act” and if it happens culprits are exposed in the community, labelled, disgraced and punished for acts of infidelity, reasons to why such are often place on married women known to be promiscuous. The repercussions that follows it, if the antidote is not administered quickly to break the contact the two might die. The juju magun is done without the knowledge of the victims; it is a simple broomstick or thread that has been laced with juju which is then placed on the path, doorsteps or walkway the victim normally follows to crossover; unknown to the victim once such a person commits adultery or fornicates the two will be “stuck together” and only the spouse or parents can undo the spell, a very deadly spell indeed.
The Juju Oaths:
The undertaking done verbally or written by the juju priests for members of the “secret societies”, and the “dark world” belonging to a “clique”; through a ritual juju ceremony to force obedience, loyalty and action impacting on its members a psychological fear, the juju magic would cause if a deed contrary to the said oath is done such as madness, deadly illness, infertility, a retched life, stagnation in life and at times death upon breaking the juju oath.
The Superpowers Of Juju And Fufu Sacrifice During Cultural Rites:Â
In most rural communities all dwellers are invited to gather during festivals to partake in the collective sacrifices before the idol and deity with the use of rare birds feathers, native chalks, and the sacrificial concoctions are prepared in earthen pots that was molded with clay, some communities are known to have special markets for the buying and selling of sacrificial items.
The juju priest is the one who gives instructions for all sacrifices which depends on what the situation is all about, the customary events or cultural purifications. During festivals or very important events for a successful outcomes, some juju priests might request for “fufu” which is a staple starchy swallow for Nigerians, to be prepared, served with vegetable soups and bush meats which are then presented to the gods of the land; the food with native palm wine are placed at the crossroads in the community where the four roads intersect as a presentation to the gods to eat of it and be pleased in order to solve issues that might occur at the crossroads of their lives, it is believed that such gifts are relished by the spirits. After a while the juju priest instructs the kings, chiefs and men in attendance to ceremoniously take a share of the fufu meal and eat, after the meal the women will come out smiling gleefully, dancing and singing to the beats of the drummers.
The Yoruba of western Nigeria are known for the customary twins sacrifice; a myths surrounding the birthing of twins is a story that is often told of Babalawo giving instructions to the family of twins to prepare and perform a sacrifice of cooked beans with lots of red palm oil to be shared out to all kids in the community to eat along with the twins, which is done for the health, long life and prosperity of the twins. The juju priests then orders the mother of the twins to around the neighborhood with her twins to beg for alms which in Yoruba is called “atutu” the purification for protection.
The market places are not left out in the offerings of sacrifice; shops, malls and places where the buying and selling take place are known to hang or place juju somewhere hidden in and around their businesses to bring in customers and to gain a greater market share; some traders are known to possess powerful juju over other market traders in controlling all market activities. The restaurants, street food sellers, and retail hawkers are believed to engaged in the use of juju. As soon as a restaurant or the “Mama Buka” referring to the cheap street corner restaurants or food sellers, gets a lot of patronage, they are easily accused of juju application with the believed that most desperate food sellers prepare meals with the water used in bathing a corpse to make their meals delicious, and tasty than all others which are to hook the customers for repeated patronage.
Human Predators And Parasites:
The journey of the hunter and the hunted is the Human trafficking which is a system of modern day slavery controlled by a greedy “clique” subjecting mostly young ignorant girls into prostitution through a journey to the unknown and all victims must undergo the oath-taking ceremony that is always conducted by a “juju” priest who is obligated to perform in front of a shrine and in the presence of a carved wooden Idol or deity, a ritual that is always followed by blood sacrifice and incantations; a brain to body attack with a psyche control that pushes the victim into a remote physical control by the juju chains. Human traffickers are known to use such juju in controlling their victims. The victim must offer-up and submit their body parts or snippet of their intimate items which the juju priests will then bound up into a bundle then places it under bondage in the shrine to control the spirits, souls, body and destinies of their victims. A deadly system of control and coercion with a psychological belief that the victim’s spirit, soul, body and life is under an irrefutable and irrevocable curse that bound the life of the victim, threatening in a menacingly traumatizing. The fear and terror of the juju oath is an everlasting bondage with an unimaginable potency in the lives of their victims: living in bondage for the remaining days of their lives, except a miracle happens; a holy intervention of the Almighty creator of all creatures breaks the chains of bondage. The menacing curse of the juju oath’s are now being reverse by the same process but much more powerful. The community leaders such as the chiefs, Oba’s, Royal fathers and the revere religious leaders are now on the move to stop the juju oath-taking initiations and reversing the curse whereby such shrines are destroyed after identifying, retrieving and returning the initiated victims intimate things; subsequently breaking the chains of control. The millions of jobless youths in Nigeria are easy prey for human trafficking and all other societal evils such as fraud, a wrong perception about most of Nigerian youths is that they are viewed as “yahoo boys”, finding it very difficult to be viewed as a responsible, intelligent and hardworking youths due to the activities of the lazy few who are engaged in fraud activities with the manipulations of internet users data accounts to deceive and defraud. The yahoo gangs are known to use juju charms in controlling their victims into compliance, there are facts to that effects seen with arrested “yahoo boys” of juju charms and concoctions.
The witches and wizards are believed to possess powers that can only be imagine, travelling by nights in animal forms and becoming invisible by day to the eyes of the mere mortals; stealing souls and feasting on blood, leading to hatred towards dogs, cats, and owls whose forms are used by witches and are often chased away or killed believing that it is a witch that transforms into such animals. Witches are feared due to their manipulation of spells, concoctions of potion, use of powerful magic to cause disasters, diseases and deaths, taking the soul from their victims into their evil possessions to manipulate, thus the popular name of a witch doctor often referring to the “Boka” in Hausa, “Babalawo” in Yoruba and the Igbo juju priest. May the Almighty Creator of the universe protect us from the evil eyes of His creatures, Ameen.
The Childhood Killer Diseases:
The cultural uses of and the application of charms and amulets are done generally for the protection and prevention of the unforeseen forces; such as bad luck, evil evils, jinn’s, evil spirits, deadly diseases, spells from witches, living in bondage, war, famines, poverty, natural and man-made disasters. The traditional behavioral characters of some Nigerians are often reflected in their beliefs, customs, norms and values. Amulets bands, charms, are used by traditionalists in any cultural settings which includes neck bands, ankle and waist bands are seen protectively hugging the tender neck, ankles and waist of babies including adults. It is deep rooted belief that it is for the babies a protection against childhood illnesses that could easily be prevented by immunization while for the some parents its uses are to scare off evil witches, spirits and jinn’s such cultural practices are due to family tradition pass on from generation to generations which are harmful traditional health practices, with the strong belief in its efficacy consequently parents from seeking timely medical interventions and the reasons attributed to the ever increasing harmful cultural practices are due to poor socio-economic status, poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and the inculcated cultural beliefs. A false sense of security is caused by such the deep rooted beliefs in the magical powers of charms called “juju” of any form used, which ultimately increases the risk of morbidity and mortality; diseases like convulsion, epilepsy, asthma, skin diseases, birth deformities, polio, enhancement of intelligence and many others are responsible for the use of “juju”; there is a need to educate the rural communities and traditionalists on health education in order to reduce and eradicate ignorance about common childhood killer diseases to help reduce and eliminate such practices of juju applications for simple medical conditions; as the saying goes knowledge is power in order to halt such harmful practices by the use of timely health education and treatments. A lot of culturally oriented parents are of the beliefs that the applications of such juju items on babies are believed by parents to be potent with supernatural powers believed to prevent and protect babies from falling ill which often leads to the ever-increasing childhood morbidity and mortality; consequently making it an enormous task or absolutely a difficult reality in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the 3 to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” and 4 “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” in reducing child mortality.
The Race To Replace The Sit Of Power:
The desires to occupy Political offices, Executive position in offices, and Businesses by well-packaged individuals who are pious outwardly but poisonous inwardly. Incest, child rape, gang-rape are caused by juju superstitious beliefs that the raping of babies can cure sexually transmitted diseases of HIV/AIDS while others are of the belief that riches, political sits and executive positions in offices and businesses can only be achieved through the use of human parts and incest; poverty, ambition, and diseases are mostly responsible for the rampant cases of child rape, incest, same-sex encounters leading to underage boys being defiled.
The sacrifice of whatever is demanded by the juju priests for fame and fortune must be perform to please the gods, deities, or idols in fulfilling the needs of the seeker of fortune and fame; money by all means in all the ways possible. At times such rituals might involve the seeker using human parts, blood, his own body parts to make it big in life.
The Body Marks And Incisions For Physical Protection:
The cultural inculcations on some individuals in Nigeria has turned many into becoming obsessed with the need for spiritual protection from the spirit world and the day to day fears of an unknown physical attacks; a lot of Nigerians have various marks and incisions on different parts of their bodies. The “born to die” babies are believed to belong to the family and fraternity of demons, living in a spirit world; such babies die of strange illnesses caused by convulsions and childhood killer diseases. But due to lack of medical hospitals during the ancient days, the Yoruba medicine man popularly called the Babalawo and the traditionalists are of the belief that such “predestined to die” babies are likely to return to their earth parents, only to die again before puberty hence the reasons for the mark and lacerations to stop the cycle of birth, death and rebirth which today modern medicine refer to as childhood killer diseases, easily prevented by immunization and timely medical treatments. Most often tribal marks also have hidden motives due to the facts that some facial incision are made to ward-off the spirit child generally referred to as “Ogbanje” by the Igbo, “Abiku” by the Yoruba and “Dan’Aljanu” by the Hausa. While it is a cultural belief that such marks bring to the bearer blessings, favors, good luck, protection and prevention of all kinds of attacks. The vintage position of royal fathers carries a lot of weight; uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. The famine caused by drought are dreaded by leaders, hence the need for Rainmakers who are believed to possess super-natural powers to hold rainfall and to bring on the showers of blessings when there is a drought or when the rain is not forth coming; such rainmakers are called upon during important ceremonies to hold the rainfall for a beautiful, clear weather and to send down the rains when there are needs for rainfalls. A lot of untimely deaths are often challenged in rural communities thereby making communicating with the dead a necessity done to seek answers, help and blessings. The popular mystical story of the Yoruba western Nigeria often told of old are of dead pregnant women who are instructed to come back to the lands of the living to deliver the unborn child before going back to sleep on forever.
Snake Charmers In Nigeria:
A completely deadly business to gain money gifts, and to sell juju charms; snake charmers are found all over Nigeria which to them is considered a trade especially in northern Nigeria, engaged in to gain customers acceptance and patronage. A very common sight at market places, on major road sides and before a large gathering of people is a snake charmer with an animal skin containing juju charms that is claimed to solve all life problems, such charms are displayed before onlookers, arrange on woven traditional mats, with snake skins, snake heads to back-up all claims, strategically placed before the snake charmers is a round calabash gourd with a narrow round opening in the middle. A drummer beats the drum and sing praises of the snake charmer and his super natural powers, done to herald the moment all the spectators have been waiting for; a glimpse of the live snake. The snake charmer with his ego boosted moves happily towards the native calabash gourd, dances all around it and confidently dip his hand into it and out he drags a deadly snake with which he plays, wrap on his waist, neck, arms and perform every amazing tricks off his sleeves to convince them of his powers; whilst some daring snake charmers go all the way pushing the snake head into their mouth, so so terrifying all in an effort to prove the efficacy in the juju charms displayed for buyers. Some are lucky to successfully perform all the tricks and return the snake back into the native calabash gourd but others aren’t so lucky dying of snake poisonous strike.
Fortunes and fames:
A lot of religious leaders hide under the canopy of their religion doctrine to perform all sort of miracles claiming to be strong in faith giving the greater glory to their house of worships they’re whilst unknown to many such “miracles” are done with diabolic acts connecting through the spirit world with the use of “supernatural powers” of jinn’s, witches, and demonic break-through to gain more followership, fames and fortunes. Alas pulling the unsuspecting, desperate, greedy and gullible individuals that are seeking for fortunes, fames or both by hook or crook in order to belong to the popular, and powerful personalities; thereby falling victims of the controlling chains of juju charms. The race to make it in life before it is too late leads a lot of people into all sorts of atrocities, blindly going into the dark world with the dark angels possessing and presiding over their souls, controlling their minds to dispossess them of all that is of meaningful to them mentally and materially. The fortunes in life may lead to fame or fame might bring on fortunes; which ever way it takes, it is worthy of note that working hard towards achieving life goals, a little effort every day, baby steps on the paths of life difficult roads goes a long way in making a huge difference between giving up and trying again; doing the right thing and at the right time just about make it so easy to grasp opportunities when it comes knocking. When an individual takes responsibility for mistakes and failures in life; forgives life shortcomings it is always easier to move on and try again after every fail. Delay in life is NOT denial.
Envy The Evil Eyes That Leads To Juju:
The envy of the evil eyes leads to no good and it is seen practiced most often as the “bad juju”; a juju charm, magic, or powers that carries misfortunes to anyone to destroy, bring down or completely send out any perceived enemy out of the land; such powerful juju are called in the northern parts of Nigeria “Kurciya” named after a bird in the pigeon family which is generally used to cast the spell to make anyone whose person is placed upon the charms and spells to disappear and fly away just like the “kurciya” bird by leaving the said community to an unknown destination never to be seen, heard or return to the land, an outcast. A juju concoction for seeking the love of others, it applications comes in different forms depending on the demands of seekers of love. In northern Nigeria, polygamy and the fear of a rival women sharing their man has turn a lot of women into becoming juju priestess and the Devils Gate Keepers, turning their matrimonial homes into juju shrine and worshiping deities for the fear of a new rival mate which has been obligated by the practice of polygamy, engaging in “shirka” the worship of jinn’s, idols or other gods beside the Almighty creator is an unforgivable sin in Islam and Christianity.
A gory story with heartbreaking details; scary fate that forces a soul to fright bringing to the fore two choices which might lead to flight or fight, when faith becomes a determining factor. How faithful is our faith?; “Fate may bend us to her will BUT we can choose NOT to break”: Go Out There And Break The Jinx!Â