Nigerian reggae gospel singer Buchi Atuonwu, popularly known as Buchi, has revealed a chilling chapter from his past involving his experience in an occult group, during his time as a PhD student and lecturer at the University of Lagos.
In a candid interview on the BlackFame podcast, the 60-year-old artist—renowned for his music, spoken word, and authorship—opened up about his involvement in the cult, describing it as more than a secret society. “Jesus showed me the meaning of the cult. That it was not a physical association,” he explained. “You cannot bring a knife to fight the battle of guns and hope to win. It is a spiritual thing.”
Buchi said that, at the time, he had a limited understanding of the true nature of the group, thinking it was mostly ideological or physical. “Much of what I was fighting, protesting was spiritual. So, a physical solution would not do,” he said.
He recounted a haunting procession in the early hours of the morning that led to a moment of deep internal conflict. “So, one day, I was in the company of about 200 people. And I was their singer with no microphone. The time was between 1 am and 2 am. I was in the bush somewhere.”
He described leading chants while participants marched with ominous items. “Two people had coffins on their heads. Some carried a red lamp, signifying danger, and we were in a procession. I was leading in songs.” During this ritual, he heard a voice whisper, “You do not belong here,” despite no one being beside him. “I was startled, but I could not stop singing,” he recalled.
Reflecting on the group’s makeup, Buchi noted how diverse and committed its members were. “These were all young men and old, ready to do damage. There were 60-year-olds, 70-year-olds, 30-year-olds, and 20-year-olds. The cult is a leveller – The rich and the poor, people from all tribes were united by a cause.”
Leaving the cult brought with it fear and isolation. “And it stayed with me until the events that followed, going on hits, someone shedding blood, going underground, on the run from the police, from other cults. I was in hibernation,” he said.
It was during this time in hiding that an ordinary conversation led to an extraordinary shift. “I overheard someone invited another person to church,” he said. Though religion had not been part of his life for years, he followed the person to the event. “Churching was something I had stopped for a long. So, I tagged along. I was tired of going out only late in the night and looking over my shoulder every two blocks.”
What he witnessed in the church stunned him. “What I saw in church was intriguing. I have never heard it before. I looked at them and they were either a fraud or had something I desperately needed.” The turning point came when he saw someone immersed in worship. “The Holy Spirit ministered to me,” he said.
Now a prominent gospel minister, Buchi uses his music and message to guide others away from darkness and into the light.
