News

[OPINION] Breaking Bad: The Nigerian Episode

Published

6 months ago

April 16, 2025

By Israel Adebiyi

There is a moment in the iconic series
_Breaking Bad_ when Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin, declares, “I am not in danger… I am the danger.” That transformation—from a man broken by a failed system to one willing to burn it all down—captures the soul of a story far beyond television. It captures Nigeria.

Ours is a country where the line between villain and victim often blurs. Where desperation becomes a driving force and crime can masquerade as strategy. And like Walter White, many Nigerians—especially the youth—are forced to break bad, not because they are evil, but because they have been cornered by a system that does not work.

For example, we must ask ourselves: what becomes of the honest man in a dishonest system? Walter White did not start off as a criminal. He was a teacher, a father, a man with pride and potential—crushed by a healthcare system that could not save his life, a job that could not pay his bills, and a nation that offered him nothing but slow death. In Nigeria, thousands of graduates roam the streets jobless. Skilled professionals migrate en masse, not for adventure but for survival. Honest men and women are broken daily by a system that undermines integrity and rewards manipulation. They “break bad”—morally, mentally, and sometimes criminally.

The tragedy, both in the show and in Nigeria, is not the struggle but the system that fails its people. Walter’s cancer diagnosis was not the villain. The villain was the structure that made illegal drug production seem like a legitimate way to fund treatment. Similarly, Nigeria’s tragedy is not only in its poverty—it is in the betrayal of its promise. A country endowed with oil wealth cannot provide basic electricity, quality education, or even security. Pensioners die waiting to be paid. Students lose years to strikes. The social contract is constantly breached—and when the people get tired, they stop playing by the rules.

As people adapt, morality itself becomes political. Walter justified his crimes by claiming he did it for his family. In Nigeria, we hear the same rationalizations: Politicians loot to “secure the future” for their children; clergies cover abuse to “protect the gospel”; the middle class stays silent to “avoid trouble.” The line between right and wrong fades when survival becomes the only metric. But the same justifications that fuel survival also fertilize corruption—and the descent becomes cultural.

This breakdown persists because of weak institutions and selective justice. In _Breaking Bad, law enforcement is either asleep, compromised, or tragically late. Nigeria is no different. The law bends before the rich and crushes the poor. When a politician steals billions, he is celebrated with chieftaincy titles. When a jobless youth steals a phone, he faces jungle justice. Our justice system does not serve—it discriminates. The problem is not just criminal behaviour—it is unequal accountability.

And then there are the Nigerian “Heisenbergs”—powerful individuals who exploit loopholes in the system to dominate it. Just as Walter evolved into a figure feared more than any cartel boss, Nigeria has birthed its own overlords in agbadas and uniforms—those who manipulate government, military, and the economy for personal gain. The parallel underworld is no longer underground—it is policy, it is power, it is public.

But perhaps what enables all of this more than anything is silence, the co-conspirator. In the show, Skyler knew. Jesse knew. Hank suspected. But they all kept quiet until it was too late. In Nigeria, we know. We see the rigging, the looting, the lies. But we shrug: “E no concern me.” “God will judge.” “Let me face my hustle.” This complicity gives corruption its staying power. When we normalize dysfunction, we forfeit the right to complain about its consequences.

Worse still is the madness of control. Walter believed he could control everything—his illness, the drug market, his family. But it all spiraled. Nigerian leaders too believe they can suppress the masses, manipulate elections, and weaponize poverty without consequence. But history disagrees. From the Aba Women’s Riot to the End SARS protests, Nigerians have shown that when the people rise, no amount of force can hold back a tidal wave of discontent.

So we must ask: must we all break bad to survive? Or can we break better? Nigeria does not need more Heisenbergs. It needs people with courage to disrupt the cycle—not with crime, but with creativity; not with silence, but with defiance. It needs voters who understand power, entrepreneurs who refuse shortcuts, clergies who preach conscience, and leaders who serve, not steal.

_Breaking Bad_ ends in fire and blood. But Nigeria does not have to. We still have a choice. A choice to stop cooking the poison and start healing the nation. A choice to stop being Walter White—and start being right.

Because Nigeria does not need another lord. It needs citizens who are tired of breaking and ready to build.

And that is the pulse. Until next week, keep your finger on it.

Writer’s note: This piece is not intended to make an excuse for criminality, deviance, or the erosion of moral values. Rather, it seeks to hold a mirror to our society—to reflect how a broken system can turn honest men into desperate actors. In Nigeria today, many argue that it is nearly impossible to succeed without engaging in some form of irregularity. That, right there, is the psychological power of a failed system: it rebrands evil as a necessary tool for survival and presents wrongdoing as the only route to being right. This piece is an indictment of such a reality and a call to re-examine the systemic dysfunctions that are normalizing corruption, compromise, and silence.

Israel Adebiyi is the Head of News, Super FM, Benin City, Edo State.

News

‘We Cure Madness With Madness’: Five Things To know About Taye Currency

Published

3 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

The name ‘Taye Currency’ has continued to trend on social media following the Fuji music artiste’s performance at the coronation of the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, on Friday.

Taye Currency, during his performance at the coronation event which took place at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, rendered a line in Yoruba, “Were la fi n wo were,” which translates to “we cure madness with madness.”

The line, which seems not to have sat well with many Nigerians, particularly those of Yoruba heritage, has continued to generate a lot of criticism, with many opining that such lyrics were not befitting for the occasion, which had in attendance dignitaries including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors, ministers, traditional rulers, and other crème de la crème of society.

Reacting to the development, the Olu of Kemta Orile in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Adetokunbo Tejuosho, criticised Taye Currency for what he described as “classless and unbefitting lyrics.”

According to him, the musician failed to accord the coronation its due respect, describing his lyrics as unbefitting of the sacred ceremony.

He said, “The throne of our ancestors is not a stage for mockery, nor the coronation of a great monarch a subject for careless entertainment.

“Kingship is sacred, adorned with honor and guarded by tradition. It demands reverence, dignity, honor, class and the utmost respect from all who stand in its presence.

“Listening to the musician (Taye Currency), who was invited to render music before the Crown, as a matter of fact before the entire world, to serenade the audience and sing in a way to express admiration, singing songs like (were lafi n wo were) We use madness to cure madness.

“Such lyrics were classless and unbefitting of such occasions, it is insulting to the sacredness of the gathering.”

While Taye Currency is well known among Fuji music lovers, especially those from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, his performance at the Olubadan coronation has made people want to know more about him.

In this article, Tribune Online takes a look at five things to know about the trending Fuji musician.

1. Full Name and Age

His full name is Taye Akande Adebisi. Apart from his popular stage name, Taye Currency, he is also known as ‘Apesin.’ He celebrated his 50th birthday on December 17, 2024.

2. Appointment as Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, appointed him as Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism in 2019 during the governor’s first tenure.

3. Father of a Lawmaker

In 2019, Taye Currency’s son, Yusuf Oladeni Adebisi, was elected into the Oyo State House of Assembly to represent Ibadan South-West Constituency 1, which earned Taye Currency another nickname, ’Baba Honorable’ (Honourable’s father). He was re-elected in 2023 as a lawmaker on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

4. Financial Setback

In April 2025, Taye Currency publicly lamented that he lost N10 million to CBEX, a crypto/investment scheme many now regard as a collapsed Ponzi platform. He explained that he was convinced to invest by close associates, only to see the scheme crumble shortly after.

5. Affiliation with Pasuma

Taye Currency has often maintained that although he never learnt Fuji music from his senior colleague, Wasiu Alabi Odetona, popularly known as Pasuma, whom he first met in 1993, he still considers him a boss.

News

JUST IN: PENGASSAN Strike May Trigger Nationwide Blackout, Thermal Plants Shut Down

Published

6 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

Nigerians may face a nationwide blackout from Monday as power generation companies have raised the alarm over an imminent shutdown of thermal plants following directives from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generating Companies, Joy Ogaji, raised the alarm over the imminent blackout in a WhatsApp message on Sunday.

She revealed that gas suppliers had issued notices to halt supply to thermal power stations in line with PENGASSAN’s strike resolution.

“Good day, all. Thermal GenCos have received notification from our gas suppliers to shut down our thermal power plants following directives from PENGASSAN. The Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company has specifically requested GenCos to comply,” Ogaji said in the post.

She warned that the development could plunge the country into darkness, as hydroelectric dams alone cannot sustain the national grid.

“Please all be notified of the imminent darkness, as hydros alone cannot sustain the system,” she added.

The warning comes hours after PENGASSAN announced that it would commence a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the dismissal of over 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

The oil workers’ union, after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, directed its members in all oil and gas installations to down tools until the sackings were reversed.

The action could cripple crude production, fuel supply, gas distribution and now electricity generation, worsening the hardship faced by Nigerians.

With thermal stations accounting for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s electricity supply, industry experts say the shutdown will trigger widespread outages, stretch hydro plants beyond capacity and heighten the risk of a nationwide system collapse.

News

Customs Launches One-stop-shop To Cut Cargo Clearance To 48 Hours

Published

7 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has officially introduced its ‘One-Stop-Shop (OSS)’ initiative aimed at reducing cargo clearance time to 48 hours.

NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Maiwada said the initiative was unveiled recently during a meeting between NCS management and Customs Area Controllers, chaired by the Comptroller-General (C-G), Adewale Adeniyi, in Abuja.

He said the meeting deliberated on the service’s modernisation agenda and the role of leadership in driving reforms across commands.

Maiwada quoted the C-G as describing the OSS as a “transformative shift” which aligned with global best practices and the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.

Adeniyi said the reform was designed to sanitise operations, reduce duplication of efforts and ensure predictability in customs procedures.

“The OSS initiative will not only shorten clearance time from 21 days to 48 hours, but it will also strengthen trader confidence, restore transparency and make our operations more business-friendly,” Adeniyi said.

The C-G acknowledged the role of technology in customs operations but also emphasised the importance of physical engagement with officers.

“As much as technology has helped us, it has its limits. There are moments when physical presence, coming together under one roof, adds weight and value to our deliberations,” he said.

The NCS boss said the reform would be piloted at Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne Ports before being rolled out nationwide.

He added that the initiative was constitutionally supported by the NCS Act 2023 and aligned with the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

“This is not just a policy. It is a statement of intent that reflects our determination to build a modern, transparent and trader-friendly Customs Service,” he said.

The spokesperson said that under the OSS framework, all customs units would work jointly on flagged declarations, eliminating multiple checks and reducing delays.

According to him, consignments cleared under the OSS will not be subject to re-interception, thereby reducing costs and enhancing trade facilitation.

He said the meeting also provided a platform to review the NCS accountability framework, including a new central dashboard that tracks clearance times, interventions and stakeholder satisfaction.