I Use ‘Juju’ To Succeed, Says Popular Fuji Star Saheed Osupa

Popular Fuji musician, Saheed Okunola, better known as Saheed Osupa, has sparked controversy after openly declaring that he uses ‘juju’, otherwise known as voodoo, to improve his life and attain stardom.

Osupa made the remark while performing on stage at the 52nd birthday celebration of veteran actor Fatai Odua, popularly known as Lalude, on March 30, 2026.

In a now-viral video that resurfaced online, the Fuji singer was seen addressing his backup singers after they appeared to struggle to keep up with his delivery during the live performance.

Osupa questioned what alternative means he should have used to attain success if not voodoo.

“If I don’t engage in voodoo, what else should I have employed? Is it Phensic or Panadol that will make me successful?” he asked.

While joking with them on stage, he advised them to embrace ‘juju’ as a way to sharpen their memory and improve their performance, stressing that doing so won’t necessarily make them fetish, but could serve as a means of personal advancement and well-being.

Speaking further, Osupa said he had once been advised to publicly deny being involved in fetish practices, but he refused.

“Somebody told me one time to grant an interview, denying that I’m a fetish person, but I told him that I am, and why should I deny it,” he said.

He added, “I didn’t kill anyone with my juju or commit evil with it. I am only looking for how to progress. Nothing more.”

The singer went on to speak about his spiritual routine, saying he regularly pays homage to Ifa, which he described as a source of personal reverence.

“That’s why anytime I wake, I always pay obeisance to my Ifa. I don’t know the deity beyond it, because it is worth paying homage to,” he said.

He added, “It is not good to be poor and still not live a good life. Even if one is not enormously rich, one should enjoy comfort.”

Osupa further stirred reactions when he claimed that, in his view, everyone engages in ‘juju’ one way or another, though many prefer to do so secretly.

“Everybody practises voodoo. While some hide behind the scenes to do theirs, I do mine in the open,” he said.

“All those talks of mine that I rely solely on the Bible and the Quran are pure lies,” he added.

His comments have since generated heated reactions online, especially among some Islamic clerics and commentators, many of whom rejected his assertion and criticised him for making such declarations publicly being a ‘Muslim’.

One cleric identified as Alagusiy on TikTok, who described himself as an Islamic speaker, distanced himself from Osupa’s claim and urged the singer to return to God.

“You don’t need to be promoting Ifa because there are a lot of Muslims who believe so much in you and follow your footsteps,” he said.

He added, “Please return to God, he’s the one who made you famous and rich. Not Ifa or juju that you engage in. Even if you don’t pray or engage in anything fetish, God has already destined you to be great.”

Another Islamic cleric, identified as Uwais Lukman, argued that Osupa had never truly represented the Islamic image many people had associated with him.

“Musicians are never seen as people who are on the right path because they can promote one religion today and another tomorrow. It is their job,” he said.

“For the simple fact that he still engages in music with instruments to promote it makes him less of a Muslim,” he added.

Another commentator, General Tom, also criticised the Fuji singer, alleging that Osupa’s comments reflected a deep spiritual deviation.

He claimed that the singer’s public confidence in ‘juju’ may have stemmed from spiritual help he had allegedly sought in the past.

However, in what appeared to be a response to the backlash that followed him comments, Osupa pushed back against critics, insisting that he had never spoken against any holy book.

The veteran singer reportedly maintained that he recognises both Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad as being of God, while lamenting what he described as the hypocrisy and eye service many people now display in religious matters.

Although he did not retract his earlier comments about using ‘juju’ to excel, he also did not directly name any of the clerics or commentators who had criticised him.