By Emmanuel Daniji

Nigerian traditional spiritualist KingLade has stirred controversy after claiming that Christian pastors and Islamic clerics are among the major customers of babalawos, despite their public religious beliefs.

KingLade made the claim during an appearance on the ClarityZone Podcast, where he alleged that some religious leaders secretly seek spiritual assistance from traditional practitioners while continuing to preach their faith to their followers.

“There are two key customers of a babalawo, and those are the clergymen and the Islamic clerics,” he said.

He further claimed that shops selling materials used for traditional spiritual practices attract customers from different religious backgrounds, including imams, Alfas, Wolis and pastors.

According to KingLade, some pastors allegedly consult babalawos for spiritual assistance before returning to their churches and publicly giving glory to Jesus.

The traditional spiritualist also spoke about his personal background, revealing that he grew up in a Christian home. He said his parents were a pastor and a deaconess.

Despite his upbringing, KingLade made strong allegations against Christian churches and their leaders, declaring, “Every church is a fraud syndicate. They all know what they are doing. Every pastor is a fraud.”

His comments have raised questions about religious hypocrisy, private spiritual practices and the differences between what religious leaders publicly preach and what they may privately believe or practise.

However, KingLade did not provide evidence to establish that pastors and Islamic clerics are the biggest customers of babalawos or that his allegations apply broadly to religious leaders.

His claims should therefore be understood as his personal assertions rather than established facts about Christian or Islamic religious institutions.

The remarks have also brought attention to the complex relationship between traditional African spiritual practices and the major religions practised in Nigeria, where people hold different beliefs and views about spirituality.

For now, KingLade’s comments have added another voice to the ongoing public conversation about faith, traditional spirituality and the conduct of religious leaders.