Pastor Joel Olasunkanmi Adedeji, a cleric based in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has recounted how his decision to pursue money rituals in his younger years was followed by a period of financial prosperity and later personal hardship.
In an interview with BBC News Yoruba, Adedeji said he became involved in the practice while searching for a better life and hoping to improve his financial circumstances.
According to the pastor, he was given instructions by a traditional practitioner and carried them out in the belief that they would bring him wealth.
Adedeji claimed that money began coming to him after he followed the instructions, although he said he could not clearly explain the source of all the money he received.
He recalled that the practitioner had warned him that he would not be able to use the money to buy a car or build a house.
The pastor said he enjoyed what he described as a period of prosperity lasting approximately four to five years before his circumstances changed.
His account was presented as a personal recollection during the interview and could not independently establish a causal relationship between the ritual and the subsequent events in his life.
Pastor Describes Instructions He Received
Adedeji said the practitioner instructed him to engage in a sexual act with a woman he liked and use a piece of cloth to wipe her private parts afterwards.
He said he complied with the instructions in the hope of obtaining wealth.
According to his account, the practitioner subsequently gave him additional instructions and warned him against using the money to acquire certain assets.
The pastor said the experience initially appeared to produce the financial results he had sought, but he later encountered difficulties.
His recollection offers a personal account of the decisions he says he made when he was younger and the consequences he believes followed them.
Accident Led to Amputation, Pastor Says
Adedeji also recounted a road accident that resulted in the amputation of one of his legs.
He said the incident occurred after he had lent money to another person to purchase a vehicle.
According to the pastor, the person who had obtained the vehicle was driving it when the accident occurred.
Adedeji said he was taken to hospital following the incident and later discovered that his leg had been amputated.
He described the experience as a turning point in his life, saying the financial prosperity he had previously enjoyed did not leave him with the lasting security he had hoped for.
The account does not independently establish that the accident was connected to his earlier involvement in money rituals. That connection forms part of the interpretation he places on his personal experience.
Pastor Advises Young People Against Shortcuts to Wealth
Reflecting on his past, Adedeji advised young people to exercise patience and avoid desperate attempts to become wealthy through questionable or dangerous means.
He encouraged them to pursue legitimate opportunities rather than allow financial pressure to push them into decisions they might later regret.
His message comes amid continuing public discussions about financial desperation, the pressure to display wealth on social media and the risks associated with fraudulent schemes and exploitative practices.
Nigeria’s economic difficulties have increased concern about the pressures facing young people seeking employment, financial independence and social mobility.
While the pastor’s account is a personal testimony rather than independently verified evidence of supernatural causation, it highlights the importance of making informed decisions and being cautious about promises of effortless wealth.
His central advice was that young people should remain patient and avoid sacrificing their safety and future for the promise of quick financial rewards.