Sakawa boy who allegedly went mad after returning from Benin finally speaks
An old video that went viral on social media showed a young man, known popularly as Star Boy, allegedly a member of the AMG Business crew, walking aimlessly in tattered clothes and behaving like someone mentally unstable. Reports that accompanied the video claimed he had returned from Benin, where he had gone for juju rituals, but went mad after allegedly refusing to eat used sanitary pads as instructed by a spiritualist.
In the video, the same young man had earlier been seen cruising in a luxury car. Shortly after, he was seen walking bare-footed in dirty clothes with unkempt hair—clearly appearing “mad” in public. The sudden switch in appearance caused alarm, especially for those who knew of his flashy lifestyle.
Netizens who came across the video were quick to react. Many said the situation served him right, assuming he had used dubious means (known as sakawa) to acquire his wealth. Comments like “It serves him right” and “Benin is not a place for jokes” flooded social media platforms. The video sparked a debate about young men seeking spiritual shortcuts to riches.
But now, Star Boy—who also goes by the stage name Wear Shades—has broken his silence and explained the truth behind the viral video. In an exclusive interview with popular Ghanaian blogger Kobby Kyei, he revealed that the video was staged.
According to Star Boy, the video was a creative stunt to promote his upcoming music video and to pass on a message about life. He said the aim was to show how easily one’s fortunes can change and to spark conversations around mental health, social perception, and empathy.
He recounted how the idea came to him. One evening, after closing his shop, a group of children approached him asking for toffees. At first, he declined because he had already closed, but the kids insisted. Eventually, he gave in and opened the shop to give them the sweets.
Surprisingly, after the kids left, an older man who looked mentally unstable also came to him asking for toffee. Star Boy gave him some, but out of curiosity, asked, “Why do you look this way?” The man simply replied, “It’s a long story.”
That statement, according to Star Boy, stuck with him. It kept ringing in his ears even after he went home. As a musician and creative, he saw an opportunity to turn that powerful encounter into art. Inspired by the man’s situation and words, he decided to mimic the appearance of a mad person for his next video.
“The whole thing was planned,” he told Kobby Kyei. “I wanted to create awareness and send a message that in life, anything can happen. Anyone can fall from grace to grass.”
Star Boy clarified that he had not gone mad, nor had he gone to Benin for any sakawa rituals. He insisted the rumour about eating used sanitary pads was completely false and fabricated by people who didn’t understand the context of the video.
“I did this to promote my new music and get people to think deeply. Life is unpredictable. That’s the message,” he said.
His clarification has sparked mixed reactions. Some netizens are relieved that he is not mentally ill, while others feel misled. Others have praised his creativity and boldness for using a controversial concept to market his music.
Whatever the reaction, it’s clear that Star Boy’s stunt worked—it got people talking. And in the world of entertainment, especially music, that kind of attention can be priceless.
https://youtu.be/roI70mi1Q4M