It’s tough carrying out rituals in US, Europe –Ifa Priests

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander goes a popular idiom. But this saying does not apply to every situation. Places of worship for Nigerian Christians and Muslims in Europe, Latin America, Canada, Australia and the United States are ubiquitous. But where do Nigerian traditional worshippers worship when abroad? Where do they perform rituals and ‘sacrifices’, which are components of their religion, when abroad? What is the efficacy of the rituals and ‘sacrifices’ performed in foreign lands? Does ‘juju’ work abroad?

The advent of colonialism and western civilisation had whittled down the acceptability of traditional religions in Nigeria through concomitant negative effects on culture and language. The continuous exodus of Nigerians from the misrule by subsequent governments back at home – in the early 1980s till date – gave vent to the disdain with which many Nigerians hold traditional religions.

Commenting on the efficacy of ‘sacrifices’ offered to gods abroad, the ‘Awise Awo Agbaye’ (Spokesperson of Ifa and Yoruba religion Worldwide) and former Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Wande Abimbola, said: “I have performed countless ‘sacrifices’ all over the world. Which country have I not gone to perform ‘sacrifice’? People invite me all over the world to come and