More Women Seek ‘Juju’ To Over-Power Men

By Leo Nelson

The extremes of Kayamata are far more disturbing than many imagine. The lengths to which some women go to bind men, whether for love or financial gain, are jaw‑dropping .

Sarah, a Kayamata dealer who travels across West Africa to source her consignments, described in harrowing detail how women endure unspeakable ordeals to secure power over their partners. Those seeking to control wealthy men, she explained, often find themselves in shrines where they are made to sleep with snakes.

“You will sleep with the snake because the bigger the sacrifice you’re willing to make, the bigger the things you’ll get from the rich man,” she said bluntly .

But the violations do not end there. Kayamata has infiltrated everyday life, with ordinary products being laced with charms in ways that women may not fully understand until it is too late. Another disturbing detail emerged: “They take your blood and use it for soaps, body creams, makeup powders, and other products” Built on Manipulation and Desperation

A Ghanaian psychologist, Joseph Osafo Adu, has raised urgent concerns about the psychological implications surrounding the use of Kayamata, describing it as a practice rooted in manipulation and low self-confidence .

Speaking in an interview featured in a new exposé on the dark side of Kayamata, aired on GhanaWeb TV on February 18, 2026, Professor Osafo Adu explained that the fundamental motivation behind the use of Kayamata is control.

“The fundamental thing for the use of Kayamata is manipulation. You want to manipulate your way into getting to the heart of someone so that the person, against his or her wishes, will still bend to your demands and be in a relationship,” he said .

From a psychological perspective, he traced the practice to deeper issues of self-worth. “My psychological point of view is that it could be an issue of image. If you’re not very confident in yourself, you resort to manipulation. Some people have problems with image, and self-image is a big thing in psychological science. If people don’t see themselves as confident, they want to use all kinds of things to boost their self-confidence,” he stated .

Professor Osafo Adu warned about the long-term consequences of relationships built on manipulation rather than genuine emotional connection. “Beyond that is the issue that when you magically manipulate and get it all wrong, it can wear off. When it wears off, the person is going to move away from the relationship because the relationship was not organically contracted. It was done through manipulation,” he explained .

He also highlighted the potential mental health crisis brewing beneath the surface, particularly among young people who may resort to such practices in pursuit of love or financial security. “I can only imagine what some young people may be going through now if they indeed orchestrated a magical spell to make someone fall in love. It is a big thing now, and the implications are enormous. It can lead to suicidal thinking and depression,” he said .

The documentary featured individuals who spoke anonymously about how Kayamata affected their lives . In one case, a woman recounted in an exclusive interview with Elsie Lamar how she once charmed her partner using Kayamata .

According to the woman, she purchased a blue eye ring charm after coming across a social media advertisement claiming it brings favour and good luck to its user.

“The only experience I’ve had was with a blue eye ring. I was on TikTok and Snapchat when I saw influencers advertising a brand that sells the whole Kayamata package. I saw someone talking about the blue eye ring, which gives good luck, favour, and drives away negative energy. So, I ordered one,” she said .

The woman described the benefits she enjoyed from using the Kayamata charm, explaining that she constantly received large sums of money from the man she was involved with.

“When I was using it, I wasn’t really in a serious relationship. I was just talking to a guy, and he was cool. He used to spend on me. He would gift me money and tell me to use it for anything I wanted” .

But there was a catch. The vendor warned her that the ring was spiritual and could not be worn during menstruation. At some point, she forgot to take it off.

“I got my menses, and it spoiled it. I told the vendor what happened, and she said I had ruined it, so I would have to buy another one,” she narrated .

A young man who identified himself as a victim of Kayamata described how the practice affected his decisions, particularly regarding money, in a separate account featured in the documentary .

“She started using it… when I wasn’t giving her certain things. It’s as if they are using you. You don’t even know what you’re doing. They command you, and you do everything they ask,” he said .

According to him, the influence made him give money without thinking. “When she tells you I need money, you don’t even think twice. You can even go as far as to take loans from your friends just because. You can even go and take money from your mother” .

He added that only after complying with the demands did he realize what had happened. “It is only after you give in to their demand that you ask yourself, ‘Did I do something like this?’ You can’t go and take your money back because they’ve already done it to you” .

The young man shared specific examples of how it affected his life. “One thing I did, which I regret, was when she told me she was going on vacation with her friends. I had to pay for flight tickets for her and her friends. Another time, we had a misunderstanding. We fought, a knife even came in, and after that fight, she called me and demanded money, and I gave it to her. I wasn’t even thinking twice” .

He said it nearly led to serious personal and financial ruin. “It took a spiritual father of mine who actually saw it. He mentioned whoever was doing it to me. He mentioned her name and gave me instances of things she had done to me. I didn’t want to believe it until he told me how they were able to capture me. It was through my bathwater. They had given her a liquid to pour in it. When I confronted her, she was like, ‘Who told me?'”

Founder and leader of the Prophetic Hill Chapel, Nigel Gaisie, has narrated his encounters with women he believes are possessed by Kayamata, linking it to marine spirits and demonic forces .

Sharing his story in the GhanaWeb documentary, the outspoken preacher said a woman once approached him at church to confess her involvement with Kayamata and revealed deep spiritual encounters connected to it.

“I’ve had an opportunity whereby one lady came to church, sensing and knowing the grace of God I have upon me, she had to actually come to me. She told me the genesis of the kayamata and she’s gone very deep that the spirit manifests itself every 12 midnight in her room. Within the space of 12 midnight to 4 a.m., the spirit physically manifests itself to them,” he said .

Nigel Gaisie added, “Kayamata is of the marine kingdom. We have different agents of the devil, such as the dwarfs and other kinds of demons. One of the greatest agents of the devil are the powers in the sea and in the powers of the sea, we have Maame wata. Maame wata have millions of demons and other agents of the devil, so that comes from the Queen of the Coast,” he claimed .

He added that breaking free from such practices becomes challenging when the person involved is unwilling to abandon them. “It becomes difficult if the person you’re delivering has not decided to accept the fact that they want to be delivered,” he shared .

Recounting a separate experience, he said he once tried to pray for a woman believed to be using Kayamata to lure men, but she declined spiritual help.

“I wanted to pray for a lady who has used the kayamata to enthuse men, but she said no. She’s under a spell, but she’s not willing to let it go. You can pray for her as a man of God, but after that, any spirit of the devil that’s cast out, they don’t go and sleep. They hang around and come back again. It depends on the person you’re delivering, whether the person is willing to let go or the person will go back,” he explained .

Leader of the Ajagurajah Movement, Bishop Kwabena Asiamah, popularly known as Prophet Ajagurajah, has also shared insight into the dark effects of using Kayamata .

According to Ajagurajah, the use of a love charm does not last forever, adding that the disadvantages of Kayamata outweigh any perceived benefits.

“Nothing lasts forever; you will have him today, and another woman will charm him tomorrow. The disadvantages of Kayamata are greater than the advantages. You will lose a part of yourself to whoever you charm,” he said .

Ajagurajah also cautioned individuals contemplating the use of a love charm to refrain from it altogether. According to him, individuals who use Kayamata are likely to pay a heavy price in the long run.

“You have charmed many of the big men in Ghana. Have you forgotten that you will also give birth to a boy? Someone will also charm him, so prepare yourself because you are also going to cry,” he added .

Kayamata is a combination of two Hausa words – ‘Kayan’ which means property or things, and ‘Mata’ which means women. Put together, the word literally means ‘women’s things’ .

It appears to have existed for centuries and originated from Northern Nigeria. Originally, it was used by women for sexual pleasure and served as enhancers or aphrodisiacs, especially for young brides, but in recent times, it has become a huge trend for women all over the world .

In Ghana, the trend has become very prevalent and these products are even advertised via the internet and on various social media platforms. Patrons of these products have diverse interests: to attract men for money, sex, marriage, etc.

According to media personality Naa Ashorkor, who discussed the topic on her show ‘Just Us’, Kayamata products fall into three categories: vaginal upgrade, faithfulness and libido boosting, and favour and attraction potions .

Users of the potion need to talk to the oil and indicate exactly what they want from it and it happens.

“In order to activate the potion, you simply talk to the oil. For instance – ‘oil, please let me attract rich men who can buy me a car’. When you go out, the men will literally be falling over themselves for you. They can’t help it,” she wrote .

Naa Ashorkor also shared stories of how some users of these products suffered side effects or had experiences which didn’t go in their favour .

In one instance, a woman who tried using it to attract men ended up attracting mad men. In another, a woman who tried using it on another man who already had activated the ‘For girls’ potion ended up dying .

“A lady who bought and used attraction potion now attracts only ‘mad men’ literally, in traffic, they approach her and try to touch her, they literally chase her around town, sometimes more than one at a time. When she complained to the vendor she bought it from, she told her to go to Benin to see the original seller. There is no other way to undo this charm,” she shared .

Adding that “The side effects are dire. Sometimes you cannot break away from this spell or spirit even if you want to. My guest shared a story about a girl who used it on a man, the man apparently had more potent potions which killed her. She is dead oo” .

Ghanaian media personality Elsie Sedem Bubuama, widely known as Elsie Lamar, has called on the public to increase awareness and conversation around the social and emotional impacts of Kayamata, following the release of the documentary .

Lamar, who hosted the documentary, shared that many people reached out after viewing the programme, saying they saw themselves or their own experiences reflected in the stories shared on screen. Her message to Ghanaians is to start open conversations about the emotional and cultural effects of Kayamata rather than dismissing it as mere entertainment .

Experts and commentators have discussed how use of Kayamata can be tied to manipulation, insecurity and diminished self-esteem, pushing the narrative that its implications go beyond physical attraction and can affect mental and relational health. Lamar hopes that the film will encourage viewers to consider the broader effects on individual lives and community values .

Her call for awareness is aimed at encouraging conversations that move beyond sensationalism and instead focus on education, healthy relationships, and emotional wellbeing among young people and adults alike .

As the Kayamata craze continues to capture public attention, critical questions remain unanswered. How many women have been harmed by unregulated substances sold as charms? How many men remain trapped in relationships built on manipulation rather than consent? What responsibility do social media platforms bear for hosting advertisements that promote dangerous practices?

Authorities and experts alike stress the importance of responsible social media use, education, and open dialogue. Encouraging young people to make informed, safe decisions about relationships remains a key priority for both health and social well-being.

While sensational reports of extreme rituals often attract curiosity and debate, they also serve as a reminder of the importance of protecting health, dignity, and safety in the pursuit of love and social connection. For the women who have slept with snakes, for the men who have emptied their bank accounts under supernatural influence, and for the families left to pick up the pieces, the dark side of Kayamata is not entertainment—it is a crisis demanding attention.