Scared, are we? ✔️

Ojuju

A Nigerian urban legend

It was  a common thing to hear parents shouting Ojuju will come and eat you if you don't eat or Ojuju will carry away if you don't go to school.

A lot of names have been curated for the imaginary African boogie man who was obviously the direct opposite of Father Christmas (Nigerian version of Santa Claus)

As a child, my twin wasn't a keen eater. She could go days without eating and she'd be fine. My mom literally had to force her everytime but when she relocated, my older sister barely gave a fuck.

I'd remind her of the Ojuju who'd eat her if she didn't eat and she'd start crying and saying "but I'm not hungry"
So I'd offer to help her eat it at a price.

Please don't think I'm a mean sister, a girl's gotta fulfill all her candy cravings duh!

She'd pay me to eat her food and then drink chocolate. She was literally living on it.

Later my aunt and her last child came to visit and on an occasion, I heard her threatening her kid that Alele would take her away if she didn't stop being clingy and I immediately got scared.

That could only mean something, Ojuju wasn't the only one that could punish disobedient kids and with the way my aunt had said it, It sounded so real.

That night, I went to sleep and had a terrible dream where Ojuju (I imagined him to be a tall pale man shrouded in a wet canvas dress) and Alele (I imagined him to be a bulky hairy beast) were playing and struggling to grab either my sister or my cousin.

I was so scared out of my wits. After that day, I never threatened my twin sister with Ojuju ever again and whenever anyone did it, I'd get so mad and hug my sister to myself, I'd even cry.

Now that I'm grown, I still have that feeling at the back of my mind and I can remember the dream vividly.

I'm never threatening my kids with imaginary creatures.

Ever.

Not horrific but something to think about. It did scare the anti christ outta me!