Sunny Alli Challenges Nollywood’s Depiction Of Witchcraft And Ritual Wealth

Veteran Yoruba actor, filmmaker and producer Sunny Alli has dismissed popular beliefs in money rituals, stating many stories about witchcraft in Nollywood are not realistic and lack evidence.

The actor, whose films include Omo Ghetto, Lagos Girls (Omoge Eko), Omo Olè and Okan Soso expressed his views during an interview on the YouTube programme Oyinmomo, where he discussed scriptwriting, superstition and the kind of stories he likes to tell.

Alli says he deliberately excludes scenes of witchcraft gatherings in his scripts because they are based on claims that cannot be verified.
“There are certain things that will never show up in my scripts. Like witch-meetings. I don’t think they’re realistic because no one has proven they exist. “People say that witches meet up in red clothes, but who has really been there to see it?” he said.

The veteran actor sought to know how such scenes became a norm in Nigerian films, and said nobody has been able to give convincing evidence about how witches operate.

“Who documented everything about witches? What do they actually look like? I can write about accidents or other real life experiences because people can relate to them. “Those are believable stories,” he added.

Alli dismissed the popular belief that wealth could be acquired through ritual practices, insisting that such claims did not stand up to logical scrutiny.

“I have always said I don’t believe in money rituals. They say a demon gives them the money.” I ask them, does the demon have a printing press? “Is it the money of the Central Bank of Nigeria or the money of a Bureau de Change?” he wanted to know.

“Every time I asked those questions, the believers in the belief would often change their explanations,” he explained.

“The money comes through contracts that the person never bid for, and when they couldn’t answer, they came up with another story. I like scripts that are based in reality. I just don’t believe in money rituals,” Alli said.

The actor also spoke about his past in football betting, saying that he has since given up gambling.

“I no longer bet on football but I used to. “I believe God doesn’t condone gambling and I thank Him that it’s behind me now,” he said.

Alli is one of the founding members of the Odunfa Caucus and still one of the respected men in the Yoruba movie industry. He has earned many accolades over the years for his emotional performances and contributions as an actor, producer and director.