Bad Medicine: The Horrific "Exorcism" and Death of Kennedy Ife
In August 2016, North London resident Kennedy Ife's family became concerned about his deteriorating physical and mental health. In a desperate attempt to heal him, his family performed an "exorcism"
The word ‘Excorism’ likely conjures up (no pun intended) many images in our minds; we may picture the harrowing vomit scene from The Exorcist or the terrifying ending to the 2013 horror film The Conjuring. The Conjuring and The Exorcist, and many more films based on exorcisms, are based on actual events, though they have been significantly changed and stylized for dramatic effect.
Accounts of evil spirits and demonic possession are as old as recorded human history. All major religions speak of a spiritual war between human beings and demonic or malevolent spirits.
Still, in the modern world, it is rare, though not unheard of, for exorcisms to be performed, especially in certain places where it remains a cultural practice. Excorisms are still used today to ‘help’ treat someone who is believed to be tormented by demonic forces, but these practices can be detrimental and incredibly dangerous for those who have to suffer through the exorcism itself.
Excorisms are usually taken with a pinch of salt by some of us - some believe they are a complex combination of mental and emotional problems; still, some truly believe that a human can become possessed by an evil spirit.
Ife Family Background
26-year-old Kennedy Ife was an IT worker who lived in a £1.3 Million mansion in North London with his Father, Kenneth (64), Mother, Josephine (or Joe, 56), and his five brothers Roy (33), Harry (32), Colin (26) Samuel (20) and Danny (20).
Kennedy’s father, Kenneth, was a Nigerian immigrant and professor who worked as a Global economic consultant and was a strong supporter and consultant of the ‘economic community of West Africa.’
Kenneth, clearly a well-educated man, was also very dedicated to his church, Jesus Sanctuary Ministries, as was the rest of his family. The Ife family was well-liked by those in the community, including friends, family, and neighbors.
Sore Throat
Around August 2016, Kennedy began complaining of a sore throat, coinciding with a trip to a Chinese buffet on August 13th. At first, no one saw it as a big deal, as it isn’t uncommon to become ill, especially after eating from a buffet. However, Kennedy’s sore throat became increasingly painful, so he sought medical help.
The pain he described to the doctor was more than a simple sore throat; it felt much more severe. At one point, he even told the doctor that he felt as though something was crawling around his throat.
However, the doctor was unable to find anything that could explain the strange sensation and assumed the sore throat would eventually right itself—but this wasn’t the case.
Troubling Signs
Despite the doctor being unable to find any cause for the severity of Kennedy’s sore throat and the crawling sensation he described, Kennedy began to experience troubling mood swings, breathing difficulties, and stomach issues. He had stopped eating and had lost a dangerous amount of weight.
Concern for Kennedy grew within the family, and one night, his brothers entered his bedroom to check up on him. They found Kennedy hunched over in a chair, whispering to himself. The brothers said it sounded like he was arguing with himself.
Kennedy began to claim that a seed had been planted in his stomach and that he also heard voices, and on August 19th, 2016, he began displaying extreme tantrums where he would scream, curse, and even throw plates of food across the room, much like an angry toddler.
His Dad, Kenneth, and Kennedy’s brothers chalked his behavior up to sleep deprivation. However, Kennedy never returned to the doctors, and his family claims he refused hospital treatment. In the space of a week, Kennedy’s state had deteriorated rapidly, and he started to say that a python was living inside of him.
On another disturbing night, one of his brothers found Kennedy standing in the hallway of the home in only his boxers, in a trance-like state, mumbling about the number of the beast.
Eventually, he snapped out of his trance and cried, asking for God's forgiveness; he also confessed that he had the urge to cut off his penis, as he believed it would help to release the serpent that had buried itself inside of him.
There was even an instance when he tried to attack his mother, Joe, but she managed to lock herself in her bedroom, to which Kennedy began to charge and kick the door. At this point, the Ife family decided to employ a spiritual solution.
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