Akufa: From Spiritual Belief to Medical Reality, and a Warning for Nigerian Politics By Niyi Aborisade

Years ago, in Baba Wande’s classic film Ti Oluwa Ni Ile, we watched a terrifying sequence of events unfold. Three men, driven by greed, sold a sacred piece of land dedicated to the gods. Despite Oloye Otun’s boasts that “the earth belongs to the lord,” two of his partners died mysteriously. Terrified, he consulted a herbalist (babalawo) to see what lay behind the clouds.

The Oracle’s verdict was chilling: ‘Akufa’. Two had died; the third would surely follow unless a specific ritual was performed. The Oracle had seen the unseen.

In Yorubaland, Akufa is a dreaded phenomenon. It describes a situation where a death in a family triggers a chain reaction, taking other relatives or associates along with the deceased. Mourners often pray, “Olorun ko ni se ni Akufa” (May God not allow this death to pull others with it).

Traditionally, this was viewed as a spiritual attack—the dead reaching back from the grave to claim the living. Even today, drummers at funerals might beat out rhythms claiming parents have “come for” their children. But is this truly spiritual?

While our ancestors called it spiritual, a closer look reveals a hidden medical reality. The herbalists of old, the guardians of secret knowledge, often treated Akufa with methods that mimic modern science.

• Purification: They would order the cleansing of the deceased’s home (disinfection).
• Incision/Ingestion: They prescribed herbal mixtures to be swallowed or rubbed into cuts (acting like oral medication or injections).
• Medicated Soaps: They ordered spiritual baths with special soaps (antiseptic cleansing).

These “rituals” were actually infection control measures against highly contagious diseases—like Ebola, Lassa Fever, or COVID-19—which can wipe out entire families if not contained. The “curse” was often a pathogen, and the “sacrifice” was actually quarantine and treatment shrouded in secrecy to maintain the babalawo’s prestige.

We must learn from history. Unlike the West or even Bruce Lee—who broke tradition to teach Kung Fu to the world—African knowledge has often been buried in secrecy, hindering our medical and scientific progress.

However, there is a modern form of this phenomenon that requires no microscope to see: Political Akufa.

This occurs when a wicked, selfish political leader “dies” politically and drags all his loyalists down with him. As we look toward the 2027 elections, the crystal ball shows a massive wave of Political Akufa looming over Nigeria.

Leaders who have destroyed the platforms that raised them, betrayed the people’s trust, and looted the commonwealth are on a path to political extinction. And just like the contagious diseases of old, they will not go down alone—they will take their blind followers with them.

The remedy for Political Akufa is the same as the remedy for Ebola or COVID-19: ISOLATION.

To survive the coming purge, followers must quarantine themselves from toxic leaders. Leave their camps. Distance yourself from their corruption. As the saying goes, “Bad company corrupts good manners.”

Do not let their political death become yours.

Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, historian, human rights activist, and author.