*Boastful traditional rulers speak of mythical powers
*Traditionalists, hunters say they are ready for battle
*How practical is it for spiritual powers to confront AK-47, RPGs
By Dayo Johnson, Dapo Akinrefon, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Rotimi Ojomoyela, James Ogunnaike & Adeola Badru
The palace gates of Ife trembled with more than words. When the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, opened his mouth, he didn’t just speak, he summoned.
In a nation bleeding from kidnappings, massacres, and forests turned into killing fields, Nigeria’s most revered monarch made a call that shook the corridors of power and sent chills down the spines of bandits hiding in Yoruba bushes.
The Ooni said: “We must bring together our traditional powers, spiritual heritage, and communal values to chase bandits, kidnappers, and all criminal elements out of Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole. Enough is enough. Our people deserve to live in peace and move freely without fear. Our ancestors stood for justice, peace, and communal harmony, and we must invoke those values at this critical time. We must rise collectively against the menace of banditry and kidnapping. Enough is enough. Our people deserve to live in peace and move freely without fear. Traditional rulers must take greater responsibility in safeguarding their communities while supporting the efforts of the government and security agencies.”
While government helicopters patrol the skies and soldiers patrol the roads, the Ooni looked backward to the days when kings, hunters and babalawos made forests in Yorubaland untouchable. His message: If modern weapons have failed, let the ancestors speak.
The desperate call has reignited a centuries-old debate about security, culture, and faith.
He has urged the deployment of traditional spiritual powers to combat terrorists and bandits ravaging the region and Nigeria at large.
The call has continued to generate mixed feelings across the country. In an era dominated by military hardware, intelligence gathering, surveillance drones, and conventional warfare, the Ooni’s suggestion forces Nigerians to confront a question many thought was settled: Does indigenous spirituality still have a role in modern security or warfare?
What triggered the response of the Ooni is the on-going saga of the scores of teachers and students kidnapped in Orire LGA of Oyo State. One of the teachers was beheaded, the recording of which went viral. They have been kidnapped since May 23, 2026. As at the time of going to press, they were already in their 27th day in the terrorists’ den. Whereas the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has been making briefings and giving updates on efforts to rescue the victims, the Oyo saga marked the very significant operatin by terrorists in South West, after the Owo massacre a few years ago.
Yet, in this absurdity marked by violence, Sunday Igboho, the pan-Yoruba activist is claiming that he is ready to confront the terrorists but that he is being stopped by the government.
It is because of the braggadocio of Yoruba Obas, traditionalists, hunters, and the likes of Igboho that the question arises: To what extent can Ifa, mythical powers or spiritual forces and principalities confront terrorists and rid them of Yorubaland?
Dismissing metaphysical beliefs as superstition
Contemporary security discourse often dismisses metaphysical beliefs as superstition. But traditionalists and historians argue that it would be “historically and intellectually incomplete” to ignore the role indigenous spirituality played in defending African communities.
Across the continent, societies have attributed their survival not just to physical force but to spiritual forces embedded in cultural heritage.
Whether one believes or not, the influence of these beliefs on communal resilience, social cohesion, and collective resistance to external threats is undeniable.
But the monarchs and traditionalists beating their chests insist that if the government permits, ancestral powers can be deployed not just in Yorubaland but across the country. Both groups agree that traditional spiritual means remain effective when properly applied.
Yoruba monarchs speak: Our powers are real, ready— Deji of Akureland
The Ooni’s position drew support from other Yoruba rulers and traditionalists who say ancestral powers remain potent.
The Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, declared that “We’re not leaving any stone unturned.”
Oba Aladetoyinbo put it succinctly: “We are not leaving any stone unturned in this respect of deploying our ancestral power to chase out terrorists from our domains. Our ancestral power is real, effective, and we’re determined to deploy it. We are in an era when most people have lost faith in our ancestral powers and the viability of what our ancestors left for us. I can tell you that in the real sense of it, these ancestral powers are still effective and real but we must also exercise caution while deploying them. The powers have their own rules and application modes.
“We are having our meeting to consider these suggestions. However, we will do this within the ambit of the law and ensure no one hides under it to perpetrate evil. You will see that we are working with vigilantes within our communities in this respect. We are hopeful that results will be visible soon.”
Spiritual powers still exist— Oba Ilori-Faboro
Former Ekiti Council of Traditional Rulers Chairman, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, argued that “spiritual powers still exist among some Yoruba people, and that is why unscrupulous herders are afraid of Yorubaland. It is not all about guns. Our forefathers deployed these powers to protect their communities from invaders.”
Traditional means still effective – Araba Awo
Also, speaking with Vanguard, the Araba Awo of Igede-Ekiti, Chief Okebiorun Omosola, declared that insurgents could be fought, defeated and wiped out through the traditional means.
Omosola said: “The power our forefathers used in protecting their territories before the advent of modern weaponry still exists. We have them in abundance; those powers are still with us. It is unfortunate that our leaders did not deem it necessary to consult us or enlist us in the battle against the insurgents; hypocrisy and pride would not allow them. After all, when they were seeking political offices, they consulted us for prayers and rituals and when they eventually got elected, they attributed their electoral success to Pastors and Imams. The traditional powers are still there, just like the days of old. This idea of using drones and other modern intelligence gadgets to trace and track terrorists and bandits is really not necessary; the Babalawos could be assembled and commissioned for this battle. The Babalawos could employ wild honey bees as weapons against the kidnappers, in such a way that only they would be affected without even touching their victims. Or the use of ‘ogun afeeri’ (disappearing or invisibility charms) as an element of surprise to infiltrate the camps of the kidnappers, kill them and set their captives free. In the olden days, our forefathers used rituals and ‘agbo’ to ward off evils from their communities. These agbo are placed in strategic places at the border of their communities. We can employ similar tactics at the borders of our communities to ward off bandits and terrorists. Efficacious traditional powers are still available that can be employed in this battle. There are some powers and rituals that could be employed that would defeat the insurgents, such as ‘eedi’ (spiritual spell). This power has the capacity to render any bandits and terrorists and their weapons, no matter how sophisticated, impotent. Our leaders need to know that there are (isese) traditional ways and means of tackling problems confronting our communities, especially in Yoruba land.
Give us govt approval— Traditionalists, hunters
Beyond monarchs, traditionalists and hunters say they have mapped out strategies but are constrained by law.
According to Ogundeji Elebuibon, “It is very possible to protect the vast forest across the Southwest without shooting a gun. The potent traditional means is still active. But who will go into the forest without government clearance? Governors should convene a security summit with traditionalists. There were times local guards would prepare charms in the evening and no one dared steal after.”
To the Oluwo Ifa of Egbaland, Chief Ifagbeminiyi Atanda, he maintains “indigenous Yoruba spiritual powers still possess the capacity to complement ongoing efforts to combat banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in the country. Traditional powers that were effectively deployed by the forefathers to safeguard communities remain potent and can be harnessed in addressing contemporary security challenges, provided they are handled by genuine traditional practitioners rather than what he described as “social media traditionalists. We have what it takes to fight and overcome insecurity. The deities used by our forefathers are still with us and remain powerful enough to contribute to the battle against banditry, kidnapping and terrorism. What is required is proper consultation and seeking their intercession through Ifa divination.”
Also, the Oodua Security Network Commander, Olayemi Victor Egbeola, said: “The Yoruba ethnic group has the power to confront bandits, but we cannot flout government rules. That is why we fold our arms. Let all our traditional rulers permit us to deploy our ancestral powers. We are ready once we have permission.”
Contemporary accounts show mythical strength
While supporters cite historical examples of spiritual defense, they also cite specific cases where ancestral protection were said to have worked.
The National Organizing Secretary of Afenifere, Apagun Kole Omololu, gave accounts from Erinje, Okitipupa LGA of Ondo State.
Omololu said: “Local tradition holds that swarms of bees have repeatedly appeared during periods of danger, frustrating hostile incursions and serving as a protective shield. During Abacha’s regime, security operatives moved into Erinje but the sudden emergence of large swarms disrupted soldiers’ movement.”
Recalling the exploits of the late Oba Orimisan Akinlalu II of Erinje, he said: “After a soldier assaulted the monarch’s driver, the soldier suffered a sudden mental breakdown and was later brought before the ruler, where interventions restored him.”
Omololu also referenced the 1983 political crisis in old Ondo State, where “houses were set ablaze through means that defied conventional explanation. Ordinary eggs, deployed within a traditional spiritual context, were associated with the ignition of fire.”
Ekiti Council of Elders Secretary: Elder Niyi Ajibulu said, “We have reports confirming the efficacy of these powers. Only desperate measures can fix a desperate situation.”
President of the International Council for Ifa Religion, ICIR, Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode, said: “For centuries, African societies relied on indigenous knowledge systems, spiritual institutions and traditional medicine to maintain law and order, protect communities and discourage criminal activities. These systems existed long before the introduction of modern policing and security structures and they contributed significantly to peace and stability within our communities. Those who dismiss traditional medicine as irrelevant to modern security challenges often fail to appreciate the depth of knowledge embedded in African culture and civilisation.”
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, Total Care Centre, Lagos, Dr Ariyo Mafolu, said the traditionalists in the region have commenced measures already to assist security agencies on quelling terrorism.
Mafolu said: “Some of us (traditionalists) have commenced a move to deploy juju in the fight against terrorism in our region. We have met and mapped out strategies already to repel and even assist in the efforts to arrest bandits and terrorists.
“We cannot wait for all of us to be kidnapped. There is potential power in herbs and juju to deal with the insecurity situation in Nigeria.”
We don’t need guns to fight terrorists— Agbekoya
On its part, the Agbekoya Farmers’ Society of Nigeria said it has consistently urged South West governors to collaborate with it to stop bandits and kidnappers from operating in the zone. Agbekoya’s President General, Chief Kamoru Okikiola, who condemned the increasing wave of insecurity in communities, disclosed that it would activate traditional means of securing the South West.
Okikiola said: “The Southwest warriors, Agbekoya Farmers Society of Nigeria, are currently seeking approval from the Federal and State Governors to assist the security outfits in the region to stop bandits and kidnappers operating in the Southwest. Our organisation has traditional weapons (not guns) and local charms to protect the entire Southwest and also disarm bandits and kidnappers. Agbekoya Farmers and our security personnel can protect Southwest forest reserves, rural communities and schools effectively without guns like our forefathers did many years ago.”
The contrarian views from sceptics: Juju alone can’t defeat terrorism
Critics argue that ancestral powers have no place in the age of AK-47s and drones.
A public analyst, Mr Stephen Adewale, opined that “The use of juju reflects the desperation of communities who feel abandoned. It can boost morale, but juju alone cannot defeat terrorism. Terrorism is organised, armed, and funded. It requires intelligence, border control, prosecution of sponsors, and political will.”
The big questions
As banditry and kidnapping persist across Yoruba forests, monarchs insist the powers exist and only await political will.
The government and sceptics question the practicality of these claims against sophisticated weapons.
What is undeniable is the desperation of communities under siege to seek non-state protection against terrorists.
Again, with these wonderful tales of spiritual firepower, should the so-called traditionalists wait for government approval before protecting their lands?
If they had been proactive, would the Oyo kidnap episode have happened?
Can traditional spirituality succeed where modern weapons have failed?
QUOTES
It is because of the braggadocio of Yoruba Obas, traditionalists, hunters, and the likes of Igboho that the question arises: To what extent can Ifa, mythical powers or spiritual forces and principalities confront terrorists and rid them of Yorubaland
Again, with these wonderful tales of spiritual firepower, should the so-called traditionalists wait for government approval before protecting their lands
