No ‘poor herbalist’ can make you rich – Kanayo tells Nigerians

Veteran actor, Anayo Modestus Onyekwere popularly known as Kanayo O. Kanayo, has said that nobody has the power to make another person rich through rituals, especially not those native doctors that live in thatched huts.

He warned young Nigerians against ritual killings in the hope of making money, saying there is no established connection between human sacrifices and becoming rich.

Kanayo, who has gained popularity for his roles as a ritualist in movies, spoke as a guest of Ikenga Online Town Hall Meeting.

At the virtual meeting held every month and the November topic was, “Rituals, Riches, and Realities: The Myths of Money-Making and the Dignity of Labour.”

The Nollywood legend, who has through his roles in movies acquired the nickname “Nnayi Sacrifice” urged youths to indulge in decent hard work.

Speaking about rampant ritual killings, the actor said: “These people (youths) have up their ante and it is not about what they watch (movies). There is no truth to the fact that a man living in a thatched house will ask you to kill your girlfriend and sleep with her to make money.

“The Yahoo (scam) we knew many years ago was writing letters and promising deals that were utopian. We know many people who are in public office today who were part of it. I will not want to mention names.

“But today people are told that. The in-thing is Yahoo Promax, which involves killing someone, eating the heart of the person and washing it down with Hennessy, and the belief that you will make money. I can’t see any connection between that and making money. Money is made through hard work.”

On how he made money overnight to build a mansion in his hometown, which was a surprise to many, Kanayo said he did not indulge in any sacrifice.

“I laid the foundation of my house in 2015, and in 2016, Globacom, owned by Mike Adenuga, signed me as one of those to be a part of a nationwide campaign it was holding.

“The money was huge. It involved performances in many cities, but sometimes they count 10 cities and pay us upfront, even before we start visiting those cities.

“So, I made a lot of money and built my house. I can say I made a sacrifice to build that house because, at that time, I had the option of buying a brand new 2015 Range Rover. If I had bought it, today, I would have been seen as someone who was driving an old Range Rover.

“So the sacrifice I made was that I left the Range Rover and completed my house. That was the sacrifice I made,” he said.