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OPINION: Angels In Police Uniforms

Published

1 year ago

June 14, 2024

Tunde Odesola

His parents named him Edison – after an American – Thomas Edison, who invented the lightbulb, motion picture camera and the revolutionary music box known today as the turntable, among 1,093 patents. But no one calls him Ed(i)son, people call him Pelé, a name, which he initially rejected, long before the name became synonymous with soccer immortality.

Born Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, the name Pelé was borne out of a childhood joke a preteen friend cracked on the street of Três Corações, São Paulo. The joke was on Pelé. Like many nicknames are creations of error or mischief or both, some innovations like the Penicillin, microwave, fireworks, saccharin and potato chips were produced in error, too. But Pelé loved his nickname, Dico.

Call it rags-to-riches or grass-to-grace supplication, the thunderous reversal-of-fortune prayers by Nigerians in endless religious revivals, crusades and vigils underscore the country’s biting poverty amid government’s impotence. I’ve worshipped in white churches in the US, they don’t shout, “Fire! Fire! Kill them! Strike them! Destroy them!”

In church, Americans pray for the safety of their immediate community, national economy and prosperity, even as they express their desire to make paradise. Whether in church, at leisure or at work, many Americans have their guns tucked away under their car seats, that is, if the guns are not strapped in (concealed) holsters on their bodies.

Verily, I say unto you, brethren, the rejected name, Pelé, cannot become a global brand without hard work. When people seek the face of God in churches, mosques shrines etc, praying for their shame to be turned into fame through a ‘s’egan mi d’erin’ miracle, they should also work hard, face their fears, and not feed them.

Self-educated, Thomas Edison surely had his fears but he didn’t feed them. He believes hard work is superior to genius, and he crystallises his thought in this famous quote, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

In an interview, Pelé, the Brazilian soccer god, discloses the origin of his nickname in smattering English. “We used to say in Brazil, my name was Edson Arantes Do Nascimento because now everybody recognises only Pelé. If you say Edson in some place, nobody knows who he is. When I was around 8-9 years old, a little boy in the street called me Pelé.

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“For me, that time, it was ugly (the name Pelé), you know, because I got mad with him. I said, ‘Hey, my name is Edson, why you call Pelé? What you mean Pelé?’ Everybody starts to laugh. I don’t know if it was a joke, or (because) I did (something) wrong or (I got some) pronunciation wrong; nobody know up till now why (what it means). I just remember I fight with him; I was in the school, I got three day suspended because he called Pelé, (I) say my name is Edson, this ugly name I don’t like. But now, I like it because it’s an easy name to pronounce.”

Unofficial sources say owing to his innocence and thick Minas Gerais accent, Pelé mispronounced the name of Vasco de Sao Lourenco’s goalkeeper, Bilé, as Pilé, a slip his childhood friend wasn’t ready to overlook, dipping Pilé into the frying pan of mockery to make the world a sumptuous meal called Pelé.

Bilé the goalkeeper was a teammate of Pelé’s father, João Ramos do Nascimento, nicknamed Dondinho, who scored five headed goals in a match, a feat which Pelé publicly coveted but failed to achieve.

Regarded by fans as the king of jogo bonito – the beautiful game, Pelé, who was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government in 1961, died of colon cancer complications in Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital, on December 29, 2022, aged 82. His soul has been resting in peace thenceforth.

Though the Nigeria Police Force was established in 1930, its origin could be traced to Lagos, with the creation of a 30-man Consular Guard in 1861. Unlike the name Pelé, however, the name, Nigeria Police Force, wasn’t a product of an error. The naming of the force was deliberate.

Naming the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency the Nigeria Police Force wasn’t a brand blunder aka misbranding. However, you may describe the naming and its claims as puffery – a parlance in advertising that defines exaggerated and untrue claims about a product or service. The motto of the NPF, “The police is your friend,” comes to mind.

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Despite not supporting the revisionism change of the national anthem by the Bola Tinubu administration and being contemptuous of the CHANGE mantra the Muhammadu Buhari administration paid lip service to for eight years, an incident happened on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, which gave a ray of light that all hope is not lost in Nigeria.

On the fateful day, I was in company with my friend, Wole Adeniyi, a chartered accountant. We were coming from Ekiti State en route to Lagos when I decided to pay Osun a glancing visit. We had visited WEMA Bank and UBA in the city capital and were heading towards the Ajegunle area from Olonkoro when I urged Wole to indulge me pay an unscheduled visit to the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Dr Tunde Badmus, who lives in Osogbo.

As we neared the roundabout at Dugbe, vehicular traffic was building up. When we came within sight of the roundabout, I noticed policemen in an unmarked black colour mini bus popularly called ‘Korope’ were harassing a young driver of a black 2013 Toyota Camry in a heated argument.

“Kilo n sele,” I asked the young man as our vehicle snaked its way abreast of the scene. “They want to cheat mi ni o. They said I hit them, look at my car, look at their bus. They want to cheat me o!” I told the young man, “Don’t move, just stay right there. I’m coming.”

I turned to Wole, “Please, park.” “You said Asiwaju is likely to go and play golf. You will miss him,” gentleman Wole cautioned. “No, I won’t,” I stated, hopping out of the vehicle as Wole meandered in search of a place to park.

I walked back to the roundabout, took a look at the scene and it was as clear as a full moon on a starless night that the police vehicle was the one that hit the Camry. The armed policemen from the State Tactical Squad were telling the driver to move his car to the divisional police station which is just two blocks away. “Don’t move your vehicle,” I told the driver as I took many pictures and videos from different camera angles. The policemen took pictures, made some markings on the road and verbally added ‘obstruction of traffic and causing tension on the road’ to the numerous ‘offences’ of the Toyota driver, which included ‘wilful stopping of police vehicle bearing criminal suspects’.

A shouting match ensued. “You people are wrong. Your vehicle hit the Toyota from the side,” I told the policemen. “No, he hit us from behind,” they said. “If he hit you from behind, why is there no scratch at the back of your bus or the front of his car?” I asked. “Are you a policeman,” they responded, probing: “who are you sef, can you identify yourself? “I will identify myself to your commissioner,” I retorted.

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Just then, a clean man in mufti walked to the scene, inspected the two vehicles, took pictures, made some markings on the road and told the two parties to come to the nearby station with him so the rage on the road could abate. The young driver looked at me, I told him to drive the car to the station. Wole and I went back to our car and drove to the station.

At the station, the clean man in mufti, Mr Eyinade Ifeoluwa, whom I later identified as the Divisional Traffic Officer, conferred with the Divisional Police Officer, Mr Akinloye Oyegade, who came out to listen to both parties. Osun State PUNCH correspondent, Bola Bamigbola, joined the fray at this point.

After extensive talks, the DPO said the DTO had briefed him, adding that he was waiting for the Tactical Squad policemen who went to the state headquarters to return before he would make the result of police investigation on the case known.

Inside the station, Wole, Bola and I engaged the DPO and the DTO in further talks. I told them of the respect I have for the police, recalling my interventions on behalf of the police.

The next statement of the DPO moved me to tears. “As I said earlier, we have conducted our investigation and we know who’s at fault. Road accident investigation is the easiest thing to conduct for the police. I’m waiting for the policemen to come back from the state headquarters. They are the ones at fault. When they return, I’ll tell them the three options open to them: beg the driver, if he agrees, good; if he doesn’t agree, they will repair his car. If they don’t, I will take the next step.”

The policemen arrived from their assignment and the DPO told them they were at fault, giving them the options available. As they were talking with the driver, I left my phone number with the driver as I left the station.

Nigeria is redeemable.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com
Facebook: @Tunde Odesola
X: @Tunde_Odesola

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Mexican President Pledges Tougher Sexual‑harassment Laws After Being Groped

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday unveiled proposals to boost reporting and prosecution of sexual abuse after she herself was groped in the street in an attack that caused outrage.

Mexico’s first woman president, 63, was assaulted on Tuesday by a drunken man while walking through the streets of the capital.

The assault made global headlines and focused attention on the dangers and harassment suffered by many women in the Latin American country.

Sheinbaum has pressed charges against her attacker for sexual harassment, a charge that in Mexico City covers lewd behaviour and groping.

She has also ordered a review of the widely diverging laws on sexual harassment and abuse across Mexico’s 32 states.

Sexual harassment in public spaces is so prevalent in Mexico that in the last decade, the authorities have created women-only spaces on the metro.

Other cities with similar arrangements include Mumbai and Rio.

“May what happened serve so that women do not feel alone in situations of harassment or abuse… and for this to happen, there must be institutions and a government that supports them,” Sheinbaum told her regular morning press conference.

The UN says around 70 per cent of Mexican girls and women aged 15 and over will experience at least one incident of sexual harassment in their lives.

Sheinbaum said that 45 per cent had experienced sexual “abuse.”

The man who assaulted her put one arm around her shoulder while she was greeting supporters, and with his other hand touched her hip and chest while attempting to kiss her neck.

A member of Sheinbaum’s security detail pulled him away.

Citlalli Hernandez, Secretary for Women, said more than 25,000 complaints of sexual harassment have been filed so far this year.

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US Lawmakers Urge Sanctions On Miyetti Allah, Others Over Alleged Religious Violations

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The United States House of Representatives has urged the Departments of State and Treasury to impose targeted sanctions on individuals and organisations, including Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, over alleged violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.

This was contained in a resolution introduced before the House on Tuesday and cited by The PUNCH from the US Congress website on Wednesday.

Recall that Trump, in a post on Truth over the weekend, declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and threatened to take military action if the country did not stem the alleged killings of Christians.

Filed as H. Res. 860 in the 119th Congress, the resolution, submitted by Rep. Christopher Smith with Rep. Paul Huizenga as a co-sponsor, commends President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a CPC.

The sponsors decried the alleged worsening persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.

They cited a catalogue of findings and reports that informed the measure, including media accounts and NGO data alleging large-scale attacks on civilians, destruction of places of worship, and a pattern of impunity.

The resolution reads in parts, “For over a decade, Islamic terror organisations have carried out mass murder, rape, kidnappings, and other atrocities targeting mostly Nigerian Christians and non-Fulani moderate Muslim populations, resulting in mass displacement and destruction of places of worship

“Prominent Christian and Muslim leaders have been kidnapped or assassinated, including priests, pastors, and imams who advocate for religious tolerance;

“Religious leaders, such as Father Remigius Iyhula and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who testified on March 12, 2025, at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the persecution and targeted killings of Christians in the Diocese of Makurdi, have faced intimidation, threats, and harassment from both extremist groups and government authorities.”

Supporters of the measure argued that the CPC redesignation would strengthen diplomatic leverage to press Nigeria for accountability and protection of religious minorities.

“The designation of Nigeria as a CPC will enhance diplomatic efforts to encourage the Nigerian government to take necessary actions to protect religious minorities and uphold fundamental human rights,” they said.

They therefore moved that “President Donald Trump acted appropriately and decisively to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and hold the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in religious persecution by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists.”

They further recommended conditioning US foreign assistance on demonstrable steps by Nigeria to prevent persecution, prosecute alleged perpetrators, and care for displaced populations.

“The State Department should provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly to faith-based groups to support internally displaced people in Nigeria’s middle belt states.

“The United States, through the Department of State and Department of Treasury, should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky framework and other restrictive measures, on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria, including sanctions against Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and should place Fulani-Ethnic Militias operating in Benue and Plateau States on the Entities of Particular Concern List under the International Religious Freedom Act,” the resolution read.

The resolution also asked the US to justify the purposes and amounts of recent security and development assistance to Nigeria and to tie future support to improved human-rights outcomes.

The resolution was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

If it advances out of committee, the resolution would mark a clear congressional signal backing Trump’s CPC decision and could open the door to further legislative or executive actions.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government had said the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom is based on a wrong perception of the country’s security challenges.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing journalists.

Idris said the US position stemmed from “misrepresentation and misinformation” about Nigeria’s internal security situation.

According to him, terrorism and violent crimes in Nigeria do not target any particular religious group.

“Nigeria faces long-standing security challenges that have impacted Christians and Muslims alike.

“Any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian state is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data,” Idris said.

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Nancy Pelosi, First Female Speaker Of US House, Announces Retirement

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

Nancy Pelosi, a towering figure in US politics and the first woman to serve as speaker of the House of Representatives, announced on Thursday that she will step down at the next election.

“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” said the 85-year-old Democrat who has been one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest opponents.

In a video targeted at her hometown constituents in San Francisco, Pelosi said that she would serve her final year “with a grateful heart.”

Pelosi — whose term ends in January 2027 — was the first woman to lead a major political party in the US Congress.

Despite entering political office later in life, she quickly rose through the ranks to become a darling of liberal West Coast politics and, eventually, one of the most powerful women in US history.

She is in her 19th term and has represented her San Francisco-area district for 38 years. But her fame centers especially on her renowned skills at the national level, leading her party for two decades.

As House speaker for eight years, she was second in line to the presidency, after the vice president, including during Trump’s chaotic first term.

She was revered for her ability to corral her often fractious caucus through difficult votes, including Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act and Joe Biden’s infrastructure programs.

Republicans painted her as the driving force behind a liberal elite that had turned its back on American values and was undermining the social fabric.

Trump especially made her a target, repeatedly insulting her as “crazy Nancy.” Pelosi never shrank from direct confrontations with the Republican leader, including demonstratively ripping up a copy of his State of the Union speech on live television.

Rumors of her departure had been swirling for weeks on Capitol Hill, but she deflected questions over her political future, insisting that she was focused on a redistricting reform initiative in California that passed on Tuesday.

“I say to my colleagues in the House all the time, no matter what title they have bestowed upon me — speaker, leader, whip — there has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, I speak for the people of San Francisco,” Pelosi said.

“I have truly loved serving as your voice,” she said. “As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power.”