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OPINION: Will Nigeria Be As Lucky As King Sunny Ade?

Published

7 months ago

May 23, 2025

Tunde Odesola

Bewildered by the riddle life was unravelling, King Sunny Ade, in 1974, lifted his voice in a plaintive cry, “È sú biri-biri kè bó mi o.” At the time, the fast-rising Juju maestro was merely 11 years into his musical odyssey when he birthed this evergreen song. Had the song been born in 2025, it might have been titled “Piti-piti Ayé”— to reflect the muttering of today’s youth generation navigating chaos in streetwise slang.

“È sú biri-biri kè bó mi o” is no mere lament; it is a philosophical lamentation, the outcry of a mind in a maze. In the song, a perplexed KSA pleads for an encompassing supernatural protection, confessing he cannot tell whether the bus of life he boarded is surging forward or sliding backwards.

Yet, in his quandary, the minstrel offers his adoration to God. “Mo ti ṣe’bà Ẹdùmarè, Ọba tó l’àyé,” he declares—I have paid homage to the Creator, the King of the universe. He continues, “Mo ti ṣe’bà gbogbo àgbà tó n be niwaju mi, dede ọmọ àwọ”— I revere the elders and all devotees. I adulate the killing Òpàkí and the saving Òlàkí witches, whose silence thunders at midnight…decreeing my protection. For it is the solidity of kòkò igi—the core of the tree—that protects the kòkò from being chopped; just as the albino enjoys the same honour of the òrìṣà.

The classic song unfolds in a cascade of Yoruba oral chant, rich in metaphor and mischief: “No one dares thrust a sword to the back of the housefly; no one beheads the housefly with a sword; no one shackles the legs of the housefly.”

The song reveals the conspiracy against Àgbè, the bird, but the conspirators mistakenly dip its feathers in dye, and Àgbè emerges more resplendent. Enemies scheme to ruin Àlùkò, but they dip its plumage in camwood, and Àlùkò becomes even more prosperous. Haters plot against Òdídẹ̀rẹ̀, only to stain its feathers with palm oil, and misfortune turns to fortune. They connive to undo the Lẹ́kẹ́lẹ́kẹ́ by marking it with white powder, but the Lẹ́kẹ́lẹ́kẹ́ soars into luminous success.

KSA goes on to dare ancient taboos by urinating and defecating on cowry-white cloth, and even wiping his butt with ìko ide, the tail feathers of the parrot. And yet, like the housefly untouched by the sword, he emerges, unscathed and unpunished. Like over 100 million Nigerians, I am scarred and scorched by what Nigeria has been offering since the roguish Ibrahim Babangida years till date. Leadership’s mouth is brimming with promises, but the masses’ hearts are hopeless. The honey and the bee reside on the top of the ladder.

I tell you what, I am not the stranded King Sunny Ade, I know exactly where I’m going. I am going to South Carolina, USA, to bring you a story that grapples with human dignity in the boundless arena of freedom and corpse rights. Yes, you read right: criminal corpse’s right! In death or infamy, you and I, let’s consider the worth of Nigerian life.

MM is a popular abbreviation that resonates in the world of firearms. In ballistic parlance, it stands for millimetres. The bore of a gun is its internal barrel. In the US and Britain, since 1950, the size of the internal barrel is measured in millimeters, hence some guns bear 9mm, 12mm, 15mm – codes to show the cartridge sizes they bear, and by extension, the kind of misery each gun can deliver.

But in South Carolina, MM is synonymous with sorrow. It is not just a unit of metric measurement—it is Mikal Mahdi, a man, a memory, and a murderer. In 2004, Mahdi wrote his name in blood, killing two people, one of them a police officer. He was caught and convicted, with his life loitering in the valley of the shadow of death, from 2004 to April 11, 2025, when a three-person firing squad aimed their muzzles at his heart and fired.

When bullets flew from the guns of the three sharpshooters, Mahdi did not die. He did not use ayeta. But he lived for about 60 seconds more than the law expected, and his relatives have headed for the courts, claiming Mahdi suffered ‘excruciating conscious pain and suffering for about 30 to 60 seconds’. The Yoruba have a saying: “Oro o dun lenu iya ole,” which means the mother of a thief is ashamed to make a plea, but Americans think otherwise; they are according a killer his rights in the grave.

At 42, Mahdi was handed a deathly privilege: the opportunity to choose his choice of death. The law, like a vigorous vendor at the market of woe, hawked three types of hot death, ikú gbóná, to MM, who had killed by the gun, and must inescapably die by the gun. One: Death by the electric chair was a hellward shuttle available to Mahdi under the law. The electric chair, a throne of fire wired to the underworld. Two: Lethal injection – the needle, piercing hand of chemistry, quiet calamity. But the third option – the gun, cold and callous — was attractive to MM, who, being gun-friendly, chose death by the stake, because he knew the speed of the bullet. The bullet does not bargain. It does not blink. It arrives before the scream.

According to a story, “Inmate executed by firing squad died in ‘excruciating’ pain after bullets missed his heart, autopsy report suggests,” which was published by US-based news media, People, Mahdi’s execution is cruel.

The story says, ‘When the state supreme court confirmed the legality of execution by firing squad in 2024, it did so with the understanding that the inmate would not suffer for more than ‘10-15 seconds’. Anything more than that would be deemed exceedingly cruel, unusual, and therefore, unconstitutional.”

An unnamed reporter for Associated Press, who was present at the execution, said Mahdi ‘cried out’ and flexed’ his arms after being shot, adding that ‘he groaned two more times for about 45 seconds, his breath continued for about 80 seconds before he appeared to take the final gasp’.

Mahdi’s case, which is before the State of South Carolina Supreme Court, is titled Mikal D. Mahdi (Petitioner) V. BRYAN P. STIRLING, Commissioner, South Carolina Department of Corrections (Respondent), with case number 2025-000491. It says a forensic pathologist, Dr Jonathan Arden, analysed the autopsy report on Mahdi.

The court papers reads, “The undersigned respectfully alert this Court that the execution of our client, Mikal D. Mahdi, was botched. As this Court has noted, SCDC’s firing squad protocol calls for a condemned prisoner “to be shot in the heart by (three) members of the firing squad using ammunition calculated to do maximum damage to—and thereby immediately stop—the heart.

“When Mr. Mahdi faced the firing squad on April 11, 2025, it appears he was shot with only two bullets, not three. Both entered just above his abdomen, shattering into metal splinters that destroyed his liver and pancreas, but that largely missed his heart. Mr. Mahdi remained conscious while his heart pumped blood from his wounds into his chest cavity. These facts, drawn from the autopsy commissioned by the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), explain why witnesses to Mr. Mahdi’s execution heard him scream and groan both when he was shot and nearly a minute afterwards.

“In assessing whether SCDC’s firing squad posed a “risk of unnecessary and conscious pain,” this Court ultimately determined that “though an inmate executed via the firing squad is likely to feel pain, perhaps excruciating pain…the pain will last only ten to fifteen seconds …. unless there is a massive botch of the execution in which each member of the firing squad simply misses the inmate’s heart.” Owens, 443 S.C. at 284, 904 S.E.2d at 600.

“A massive botch is exactly what happened to Mikal Mahdi. Counsel have attached the report from Mr. Mahdi’s autopsy (Exhibit A),1F 2 a photograph taken by the autopsy pathologist depicting the two entrance wounds to Mr. Mahdi’s chest (Exhibit B), a photograph taken of a small container with bullet fragments collected during the autopsy (Exhibit C), and an analysis by Dr. Jonathan Arden, a forensic pathologist (Exhibit D).2F 3 The autopsy documents only two entrance wounds on Mr. Mahdi’s chest—a fact that so alarmed the autopsy pathologist that he took the picture of the wounds and sent it to SCDC.3F 4 The two half-inch wounds are quite low on Mr. Mahdi’s torso and “just above the border with the abdomen, which is not an area largely overlying the heart.” Arden at 5.”

One of his attorneys, David Weiss, said they felt ‘obliged’ to share the information with the state to prevent other death row inmates from suffering a similar fate, stressing that Mahdi’s heart was left almost completely intact.

However, the Director of Communications, SCDC, Chrysti Shain, said the autopsy report conducted by SCDC showed that all bullets struck Mahdi in the heart, dismissing the counterclaims as ‘interpretations from paid consultants’. She disclosed that a medical professional used a stethoscope to accurately place a clear target over Mahdi’s heart before the execution.

Alphabetically, Abia to Zamfara represent the A-Z of the Nigerian state. Which of the 36 states is safe? Which is prosperous? Which has an efficient power supply? Which has good roads, effective public hospitals and schools? In which Nigerian state can Mahdi enjoy his rights? Well, King Sunny Ade survived his trials; will Nigeria survive the consequences of misgovernance? Time is ticking.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @Tunde Odesola

X: @Tunde_Odesola

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How I and Obey’s Son Escaped Getting Caught In Benin’s Coup —Dele Momodu

Published

22 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

The 2011 presidential flagbearer of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Chief Dele Momodu has revealed how he and his entourage missed getting caught in Benin Republic’s coup on Sunday.

A group of military personnel in Benin on Sunday announced that they had ousted President Patrice Talon, who is due to step down next April after 10 years in power.

Soldiers calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), said on state television that they had met and decided that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”.

Reacting to the news via a post on his official X account, Momodu said he and his entourage would have been caught in Benin Republic’s coup if not for a missing document.

“OUR GOD DID THIS FOR US… My friend ROTIMI OBEY, the second son of legendary musician, CHIEF COMMANDER EBENEZER OBEY and I were to head out to Accra, Ghana, by road, this morning. All was set and ROTIMI went to bed early so that we can set out at 5am. But something went wrong,” he said.

“Before going to bed, I asked my driver for the originals of my car documents. He said he had only the copies with him. I searched the Home Office in Victoria Island but I couldn’t find it. I then went to the Penthouse in Ikoyi to check my other office. Still no luck. So , I called ROTIMI at 10:38 PM to give him the decision to fly instead of driving. He agreed.

“Meanwhile, my Beninese friend and mentee, ALEX DALMEIDA, was already in town waiting to accompany us through the French-speaking borders. So I called him at 23:02 last night to abort our road trip.

“I called PRECIOUS, my travel consultant, to check available flights. She got us tickets at 11:15PM. It was at the airport we received the news of the coup in Benin Republic… We barely missed it by the whiskers…”

Soldiers led by Lieutenant Pascal Tigri announced that they have taken over the country. They also suspended all political parties and announced the closure of land, sea and air borders.

Speaking further, Momodu expressed surprise at the coup attempt, saying: “Benin is one of West Africa’s most peaceful countries.

“The Benin’s President changed the constitution just last month to allow him extend his presidential term, this morning the military has overthrown him.”

Talon’s entourage has, however said that the Benin Republic President is safe and the army was regaining control.

Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman dubbed the “cotton king of Cotonou”, is due to hand over power in April next year after 10 years in office marked by solid economic growth but also a surge in jihadist violence.

West Africa has experienced a number of coups in recent years, including in Benin’s northern neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and, most recently, Guinea-Bissau.

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OAU Unveils Seven-foot Bronze Statue Of Chief Obafemi Awolowo

Published

1 day ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

…Yemisi Shyllon, other dignitaries praise Awo’s commitment to humanity

A giant bronze statue of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was unveiled on Friday at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife.

The statue, the worth of which was put at N120 million by the donor, has the sage dressed in his Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) attire. It is of a height of seven feet, which goes to 15 feet after the inclusion of the pedestal.

Speaking at the unveiling, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Bamire, stated that the statue is a legacy project for the university.

Professor Bamire said the statue was a celebration of Chief Awolowo’s selfless service to humanity and expressed the appreciation of the university to the donor, Prince Yemisi Shyllon.

Prof Bamire noted that the life of Chief Awolowo should serve as a lesson for all to live for the good of the people.

“It is known that the soul of any civilisation, the very pulse of its humanity, beats strongest on its art, on its music, its literature, its visual splendour and its performances. This affirmation resonates with the Obafemi Awolowo University academic philosophy: ‘for learning and culture’—a culture of creativity and a creative culture.

“The donor of the statue, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, is a man whose name resonates across continents. He is Africa’s foremost art collector, an accomplished creative mind, a committed philanthropist of extraordinary vision and a relentless advocate for cultural advancement and one of the most remarkable cultural ambassadors of our time.

“For a university like ours, dedicated to the holistic development of mind and spirit, this example is a beacon. It reinforces our own commitment to ensuring that the sciences converge with the humanities, that innovation dances with tradition and that our graduates are as culturally literate as they are professionally skilled.

“This iconic piece will not only beautify our campus but also serve as a permanent cultural marker, reminding future generations of the ideals of leadership, service, excellence and intellectual courage upon which this university was founded,” the Vice Chancellor said.

Speaking, the donor of the statue, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, stated that the project was aimed at celebrating Papa Awolowo for living a purpose-driven life.

Prince Shyllon said conceiving the project and funding it was his own way of saying thank you to Chief Awolowo for the sterling leadership he gave his people and for showing what meaningful life meant.

“Indeed, many people solely focus on material wealth, such as having cars, building and buying properties, buying private jets, jewelries and the many other worthless and selfish illusions of life, that are generally not meaningful to the real essence of human life,” he said.

He added that Chief Awolowo would be remembered forever for living for what was right and just even as he listed some of the enduring legacies of the sage.

Prince Shyllon pointed at “free education in the old Western Region, and other landmark projects such as the Cocoa House, Western Nigeria Television, Liberty Stadium, industrial estates, farm settlements and the Obafemi Awolowo University, among others” as worthy legacies left behind by Chief Awolowo.

Shyllon noted that the sage was a man who could be best described as an example of a person who lived a “meaningful life.”

He added that Chief Awolowo lived his life planting seeds for generations while leaving his indelible footprints on the sands of time.

He charged all to live the kind of life that would make humanity remember them for something positive, “just as Papa Obafemi Awolowo, who died 38 years ago.”

He stressed that the Holy Qur’an and the Bible preach the act of showing love to the needy, adding that all should not give to the needy for the purpose of getting anything in return.

“Life is full of emptiness. Awolowo lived a meaningful, purpose-driven life and planted seeds through his various selfless services to humanity before his exit. That is why he is celebrated every day since he died 38 years ago,” he said.

In his remarks, Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, and daughter of Chief Awolowo, Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, thanked Prince Shyllon for donating the statue.

She also appreciated the university for being receptive to the idea and for keeping the legacy of Chief Awolowo alive.

Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu, who was represented by the Editor, Saturday Tribune, Dr Lasisi Olagunju, noted that the project was a celebration of selfless service to the people which was what Chief Awolowo lived for.

“History is always there to reward selfless leadership and expose pretenders. We are here today in celebration of an uncommon man who died 38 years ago. This honour, this statue is a demonstration of what immortality means.

“Chief Awolowo gave his very best in the service of the people. We appreciate the donor, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, for the gesture and also appreciate the university for giving the right space for the erection of the statue. Good life is about services; what we are celebrating today is history’s reward for Chief Awolowo’s selflessness.

“Papa was one leader who believed that service to the people is a rent paid for the space we occupy in this world. The Awolowo family appreciates this monument and thanks the donor and the sculptor for doing a great job,” he said.

He urged students of the institution to learn from the life lived by Chief Awolowo and rededicate themselves to noble causes.

At the ceremony were principal officers of the university and other dignitaries, including Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who also said positive things about Chief Awolowo and the leadership he gave the Nigerian people.
(TRIBUNE)

News

FULL LIST: FG Selects 20 Content Creators For Tax Reform Education

Published

1 day ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has released a list of 20 content creators selected to support public education on Nigeria’s ongoing tax reforms.

The Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee issued the announcement, which was posted on Thursday by its chairman, Taiwo Oyedele, on X.

The list, titled “Top 20 Content Creators for Tax Reform Education,” was shared after the organisers received 8,591 nominations covering more than 200 creators.

The organisers said the selected creators will attend a special training session designed to deepen their understanding of the new tax laws so they can share clearer and more balanced information with their audiences.

They encouraged Nigerians to tag any creator on the list and ask them to confirm their interest by completing the acceptance form.

“If your favourite creator is on the list, tag or mention them and ask them to confirm their interest by completing this form: forms.gle/Ph49kSE4okDf6g….

“Deadline for acceptance is Monday, 8 December 2025.

“Tell us the areas of interest and key issues you’d like the training to focus on in the comments section.”

According to the announcement, the creators were ranked by their followership across major platforms. The top 20 include:

1. Financial Jennifer

2. Onlinebanker

3. Don Aza

4. Mary Efombruh

5. Baba Ogbon Awon Agba International

6. Perpetual Badejo

7. Personalfinancegirl

8. Tomi Akinwale

9. Emeka Ayogu