In a jaw-dropping revelation that has ignited fresh conversations around spirituality, identity, and African traditions, Nigerian music star Abolore Akande, popularly known as 9ice, has opened up about a mysterious health crisis that nearly shattered his life and how it led him down an unconventional spiritual path.
“It wasn’t medical… someone told me, ‘Go and accept Ifa now so you can be protected.’ And I did.”
Speaking during a recent appearance on The Nancy Isime Show, the Gongo Aso crooner recounted a terrifying six-month period in 2009/2010 when he vomited blood continuously, an experience he insists had no medical explanation.
“I was in my house vomiting blood for six months,” 9ice revealed, leaving host Nancy visibly stunned. When asked if it was a diagnosed illness, the singer firmly responded, “No, it wasn’t medical.”
According to him, the ordeal forced him to flee his home and rethink everything he thought he knew about life, faith, and personal power. “The first time I experienced Ifa was when I was vomiting that blood,” he said. “Someone told me, ‘Go and accept Ifa now, so that you can be protected.’ I did it. I just wish I had known Ifa at the beginning.”
That spiritual awakening became a defining shift for 9ice, who now proudly embraces his identity as a herbalist and practitioner of traditional African spirituality.
“I’m not Christian. I’m not Muslim. I’m a herbalist. I tell people and they run away from me. But I’m an African. That’s what I practice,” he declared.
He drew comparisons to late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, who was often criticized during his lifetime for his devotion to traditional deities. “When Fela was talking, he used to go to Ogun. We were like, ‘This guy, what’s he doing?’ Now I know.”
Going deeper, 9ice shared a spiritual philosophy that now guides his life. “God said, ‘I will never come to you in a different language from your people.’ You will understand later that this black continent is for black people and we have our own messengers.”
Using a metaphor to express his view on religious diversity, he added, “Is it one road that enters Lekki Phase 1? You can pass through this way, I can pass through that way. Just get there with loyalty, with sincerity. That’s all.”
The interview has since sparked heated debate online, with many applauding his honesty and cultural pride, while others express discomfort with his rejection of organized religion. Regardless of public reaction, 9ice’s story has reopened a national conversation on African spirituality one few celebrities are willing to explore so publicly.
As the industry watches this unexpected spiritual pivot, one thing is clear: 9ice is walking a path many fear to tread and he’s doing it without apology.