Nigerian media personality Yeni Kuti has publicly defended veteran Fuji musician Saheed Okunola, popularly known as King Saheed Osupa, following his recent admission about using spiritual practices, including juju, to achieve success. The statement came during Osupa’s performance at the 52nd birthday celebration of veteran Nollywood actor Fatai Odua, widely known as Lalude, held on March 30, 2026. A video of the incident went viral online on Wednesday, showing Osupa jokingly advising his backup singers to embrace spiritual rituals to improve their memory during the live show.
In the video, Osupa was seen engaging his backup team, noting their difficulty in keeping up with his lyrics. He then suggested they use spiritual tools to enhance their focus and performance, clarifying that the practice was not about fetish or harm, but personal well-being and spiritual growth. He mentioned specific items associated with traditional African spirituality, emphasizing that these were for personal development rather than malevolent purposes.
Reacting to the controversy, Yeni Kuti, daughter of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, spoke during an interview with TVC Entertainment. She argued that there is nothing inherently wrong with Osupa’s spiritual choices, especially since he did not claim to use them to harm others. She stressed that spiritual practices like praying to the Ifa oracle for success are no different from religious prayers in Christianity or Islam.
“Voodoo is termed to be a bad thing, but it is not,” Yeni Kuti said. “Osupa is not saying he’s doing voodoo against other people; he is saying he’s praying for his own spirituality, for his own success. In Christianity and in Islam, when people go to church or the mosque, they pray for things like success and good health. It’s not termed a bad thing. So, if Osupa says he believes in Ifa and he’s going to pray for his own success, what is bad in that?”
Her comments highlight a broader conversation about religious and spiritual pluralism in Nigeria, where diverse beliefs coexist. The defense of Osupa’s right to personal spiritual expression underscores the importance of respecting cultural and religious diversity, even when practices differ from mainstream norms. As Nigerian society continues to grapple with issues of tradition, modernity, and religious tolerance, this incident may spark further dialogue on how spirituality is perceived and accepted in public life.
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