Islamic human rights organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has asked Nigeria’s music governing body to ban ‘Kuku Do Ritual’, a song by Afrobeats singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable.
‘Kuku Do Ritual’ is Portable’s first single of 2023.
The controversial singer released his debut album ‘Son of Ika’ in 2022, which included the hit ‘Apostle‘ from the album 2022, which is against the controversial pastor, Apostle Solomon Johnson.
‘Nails Do Ritual’
In the 3:58 minute song, Portable sings about various issues. However, the chorus to the music is considered a glorifying ritual killing, which is the bane of Nigerian society.
“I’m in school, but I confess, Kuku is killing me now because I’m smart. Why did you come? You go to school; you are not smart… You have to do rituals. If you perform the ritual, you will die. If you don’t do the ritual, you’ll die,” the controversial artist sang.
Responding to the song, MURIC “called in National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Film and Video Censor Board (NFVCB), the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Performing Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), to take the necessary action.
In a statement released on Monday, the director of MURIC, Ishaq Akintola, described the song as disgusting, despicable and egregious.
“This is a callous attack on Nigerian and African values. Portable’s latest song has reduced human life to ordinary ants that can be stamped out on human feet without concern or consequence.
“This is an open invitation to criminality. It makes a mockery of law and order. It is a disrespect for human life,” said Mr. Akintola.
Ritual rises
Continuing, he noted that the song can affect the youth negatively while ruining the future of the youth.
He also mentioned several news reports about young people doing things to get rich at a young age.
“Three teenagers were caught trying to kill a 13-year-old girl for ritual money in Bayelsa State in January 2022.
“Four teenagers living in Abeokuta, Ogun State, killed the girlfriend of one of them for ritual money. There are many ritual killings among young ‘Yahoo’ practitioners in the state,” he said.
He further called on all men and mothers in Nigeria, as well as Muslim and Christian leaders, to fight the madness called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ and ritual killings among the youth.
“’Kuku Do Ritual’ is a eulogy to glorify and exalt the names of ritual killers to the high heavens.
“This album calls for immediate action from the traditional rulers of Nigeria. They are the custodians of our traditions. So, we are asking the fathers of this kingdom to help us to speak about the sacrilegious song released by ‘Portable’,” added Akintola.
Portable problem
Since its release in December 2021, barely a week has passed without Portable making headlines for the wrong reasons.
In 2022, the singer was recorded ordering people to attack young people. He also made a post on Instagram suggesting that he is behind One Million Boys, a cult group that destroyed the suburbs of Ikorodu in 2020.
In both cases, he was invited by police for questioning.
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