The hidden world of juju religion is

the fascinating and frequently shock-

ing subject of Blood Secrets, a book that

unmasks the true nature of tradi-

tional Central African spiritual belief,

as told by former juju high priest

Isaiah Oke. Oke was born into a

family of Nigerian holy men and

initiated into the juju priesthood. He

eventually, turned away from the age-

old beliefs of his family and com-

munity-but not before being forced

to witness and participate in the grisly

and brutal ritual of human sacrifice

known as "The Two-Hundred Cuts."

Oke s gripping inside account of

ritual murder and other hidden prac-

tices touches on a world that many

Westerners, and even Africans,

would like to believe doesn t exist: a

spiritual universe ruled by demons,

demigods, and ghosts, whose terrify-

ing presence would seem to explain

the inexplicable hardships of African

life. Juju attempts to placate these in-

visible forces, through animal sacri-

fice, witchcraft, and other, more

drastic means.

Isaiah Oke has seen firsthand the

shadowy network of juju in its many

manifestations: as a quaint source of

village cures, as a powerfully cohesive