Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has called on the federal government to introduce legislation regulating miracle claims by religious leaders, proposing strict penalties for those unable to substantiate such assertions.
In a video shared online Tuesday, Kuti argued that pastors who claim to perform miracles should be required to prove them under controlled medical conditions. He suggested that institutions such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) could serve as independent verification centres.
“A law should be made to ensure that no one is allowed to perform miracles, and anyone caught claiming to perform a miracle should be sent to jail,” Kuti said, adding that the only exception should be cases where such claims can be scientifically validated.
He further proposed that miracle claims be demonstrated repeatedly under expert supervision, citing extreme examples such as restoring sight to individuals without eyeballs. According to him, failure to provide verifiable proof should attract severe consequences, including prison sentences of up to 50 years.
Kuti’s comments have triggered debate across social and religious circles, touching on longstanding tensions between faith-based practices and calls for greater accountability. Nigeria, a deeply religious society, has a large number of churches where testimonies of healing and supernatural intervention are common.
