Ogbomoso pastor says ritual wealth quest cost him his leg

A pastor based in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Joel Olasunkanmi, has said his search for wealth through ritual practices ended in a car accident that cost him his leg.

He spoke in an interview with BBC Yoruba, recounting events he said began about 30 years ago and lasted roughly five years.

According to him, he approached a ritualist while chasing what he called vain and worldly things. He said the man told him to find a young woman he loved, sleep with her, wipe her private parts with a white handkerchief and bring the cloth to him. Olasunkanmi said he did as instructed.

He said he became rich afterwards, though he claimed he did not understand how the money came. He also said the ritualist told him he could not use the wealth to buy a car or a house.

The accident and his advice

Olasunkanmi said he was involved in a car crash on May 26, 2001, and his leg was later amputated. He claimed the vehicle that hit him was indirectly his, because he provided the money another person used to buy it.

“Thirty years ago, I took some steps that made God angry,” he said, describing his disability as the result of that period.

He urged young Nigerians not to chase quick money. “I implore the youths of today to be patient in everything they do,” he said.

His account is his own narration of past events; no court case or formal investigation was mentioned in the reports.

The story will resonate in a country where many young people face pressure to find money fast amid high living costs and scarce jobs. Religious leaders often speak about wealth gotten through questionable means, and his warning adds to that conversation.

What happens next: Nothing formal follows from the interview. It is a personal testimony, and the pastor's advice to young people is the main takeaway.