News
Wike, Fubara: Bitten By Tiger Cub [OPINION]

By Suyi Ayodele
Omóníjó (A child has his day) was born into a small and heavily oppressed royal family. His lineage was marginalised by the other siblings. On his birthday, Omóníjó’s father, Ifátúbèrú (Ifa worth being feared), took him for divination to determine what his future would be.
The diviner, an old blind man called Mókomomótunúrè (Don’t teach a child more than what nature has deposited in him), after casting his Òpèlè, sighed. He told the curious father that the little boy would be great and would triumph over adversaries. But there were conditions attached.
The Babalawo told Ifátúbèrú that for the little Omóníjó to attain what Ifa said about him, he must be soft as èko and be solid as a rock (Omóníjó á rò bi èko, á tún le bi òkúta).
The Oracle warned that although the little boy had an eruptive nature, he must be guided to suppress those volcanoes within him and play the fool until he is of age to exhibit what destiny had deposited in him. Otherwise, Ifa warned, Omóníjó would end up like a snake which glides on the rock and leaves no trace. But that was not all.
The diviner said that for Omóníjó to be able to combine the two qualities of a soft and hard man without exhibiting his tempestuous nature, as soon as he was weaned, he must be taken to the home of the most cantankerous man in the land to learn the virtue of patience! What a contrast!
The only man in the land then that had the qualities Ifa mentioned was one old intemperate called Amómoekùnsajásín (He who takes the cub of a tiger like a puppy). Amómoekùnsajásín needed no one to provoke him before he would fight. He was provocation personified. He was a man who thrived only when there were crises. And he took no prisoners! Omóníjó’s journey to adulthood was indeed a complex one.
The complexity notwithstanding, Ifátúbèrú did exactly as Ifa directed. As soon as Omóníjó was weaned at age three, he was taken to the home of Amómoekùnsajásín. Zoologists, animal scientists and biologists all agree on the ferociousness of the tiger. It was at the home of a man who shared the same nature with the tiger that the lad was brought up. From time to time, Omóníjó’s father would check up on him and remind him of the injunctions that he must not exhibit his latent eruptive nature, no matter the provocation until it was the fullness of time.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: Nigeria @ 64: The One The World Troubles [OPINION]
Growing up in an irascible environment, the lad behaved like a fool. He lost his meals to lesser beings many times, but he would not fight back. He was ill-treated countless times, but he maintained his cool. On most occasions, Omóníjó was punished for offences he did not commit but never complained.
The entire household of Amómoekùnsajásín dismissed him as a never-do-well, a born fool. He was like Tommy, the character in Kenny Rogers’ song, “Coward of the Country”, who “Everyone considered him to be the coward of the country/He’d never stood one single time/To prove the country wrong/. Only the patriarch of the family knew that the little boy was destined to be great. And the master taught the lad all he needed for life’s journey. The old man held nothing back from the lad, who turned out to be a fast learner himself!
He served his apprenticeship, and his father took him back to the old Babalawo to offer thanksgiving offerings to Ifa. It was a great celebration and Omóníjó was released to the world to join the rest of humanity in the journey of life.
Even upon his release to the world, the adult Omóníjó carried on the way he did in the home of his master. Many who did not know about his tutelage took him for another dull man in town. They served his meals cold and gave him the shorter end of the stick. Omóníjó took everything in his stride.
Then a day came. The Oba on the throne joined his ancestors. It was the turn of the Omóníjó’s family to ascend the throne. But because they had remained a subjugated people, the entire community gathered and decided to give the title to another family. Incidentally, Omóníjó’s mentor and master, Amómoekùnsajásín, was leading the pack.
Initially, Omóníjó thought it was a joke. He never believed that his master, who trained him in all acts, arts and means, would be the one to lead the conspiracy to deny his family his rights. Nevertheless, as custom demanded, Omóníjó’ took the elders of his family and gifts to see Amómoekùnsajásín on the obaship matter.
True to his nature, Amómoekùnsajásín did not give a listening ear to the visiting party. He showed them why he was feared and revered at the same time. He forgot that one of his best apprentices was in attendance. The old man did not realise that there was no secret of the game Omóníjó did not learn from him. The party left his house.
On their way home, Omóníjó’s family decided to visit the old blind diviner, Mókomomótunúrè. The Babalawo did not allow them to sit down. He asked them what they wanted. They told him their predicament. The diviner said, without casting his Òpèlè, that the solution lay in his name. So, he asked the consulting party what his name was. They chorused Mókomomótunúrè (Don’t teach a child more than what nature has deposited in him). The old man rolled up his divination mat and entered his inner chamber, leaving the party to solve the riddle.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Lest China seize our President
Omóníjó got the message. Ifa had no further instructions for them. He dropped the usual gifts for Ifa and he led his family members back home. At home, he called an extended family meeting, where he told them to prepare for the coronation of a new king. “Ha”, the family shouted. “Who is going to be the new king?” They asked him. Beating his chest, Omóníjó roared: “I am the new king. My coronation is ìtàdógún – 17 days.”
Those who heard him trembled. They looked for where the voice came from. Omóníjó’s countenance became fear itself. His eyes dilated dangerously. His nostrils emitted a fuse. He looked exactly like a Tiger, ready to pounce, unprovoked. His father, Ifátúbèrú, thanked his Babalawo, and the Babalawo in turn thanked Ifa. The people were emboldened. The battle line was drawn.
Seventeen days came. The traditional drum was beaten. Ifátúbèrú led his son, Omóníjó, to the inner shrine. The loyal kingmakers asked him to choose which swaddling clothes he would wear and Omóníjó chose the skin of the Tiger (Awo Ekùn). For his crown, he chose the one carved with several skulls of the Tiger. And for his staff, he picked the one decorated with the eyes of the Tiger; and picked the tail of a Tiger in place of horsetail!
The new Oba came out of the groove like a Tiger to the waiting battle party of the rebellious group led by Amómoekùnsajásín. Oba Omóníjó remembered his name. A child has his day. He leapt on the party. He spotted those who maltreated him in the house of his master and dealt them deadly blows.
He did not spare the ones who called him a fool and gave them the fool’s treatment. He made for the master himself. Amómoekùnsajásín saw what was to befall him. He fled in all wings. But for the fact that he was the master himself, Amómoekùnsajásín’s reign of terror would have ended that day. He escaped, but he was badly bruised. Omóníjó did not pursue him. He knew another day would come. Omóníjó triumphed as Ifa predicted. And Omóníjó’s lineage, nay, the entire community, became liberated. Every man must indeed answer his name on the most important day. Omóníjó did that in that battle of survival.
Our elders are wise. They counsel that once a Tiger helps in sharpening the incisors of its cub, it should avoid being bitten by the cub. A bad leader must produce the worst apprentice. Why leaders don’t learn from the above wisdom baffles me. I chose the above old but long folktale to start today’s piece. I did so because I found the moonlight tale relevant to contemporary Rivers State.
When the crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor cum godfather, Nyelsom Wike, broke out, I did a piece titled: “Fubara, Wike and day I broke duck’s eggs”, on December 19, 2023, on this page. In that piece, I called on the godfather of all godfathers, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to step in and settle the matter to avoid the danger hanging on Rivers State and, by extension, Nigeria, if the crisis was allowed to fester. I made that call because I believed then, as I still do now, that whatever muscle Wike is pulling, it is because he has the Federal Government behind him.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Ifa’s Message For Our President
I never expected the President to act. It was not politically wise for him to do so. President Tinubu needs a ruined Wike for him (Tinubu) to take hold of Rivers State. The President knew that Wike, like the foolish Tortoise on a perilous journey, would not relent until he was thoroughly disgraced. Our leaders of this era needed all the weak men they could get around them to remain in power. Wike never realised this, hence, he continued his journey to political perdition!
I watched the video of Governor Fubara’s short ‘press conference’ on Saturday morning on the premises of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). The governor was said to have held the ‘press conference’ by 1.00 am on Saturday, hours before the contentious local government election in the state. In the video, Fubara said, among other things, that “…This election must hold. If you like, whatever it is you like to do, do it. The election will hold, results will be declared, people will be sworn in…” He uttered those words in reference to the biases the police high command had shown in the crisis.
When I heard those words and the gesticulation of the governor, the voice that rang in my head and the words I heard were those of Omóníjó, when he roared: “I am the new king. My coronation is ìtàdógún.”
And just as he declared, the local government election took place in all the 23 local government areas of the state. Results were declared and all the winners were sworn in. Governor Fubara did all that without the police providing security. It would also interest all to note that no violence was recorded while the election lasted. Wike and his men were nowhere near Rivers State while all that took place. But that should not be mistaken for peace!
This is exactly what happens whenever any typical Amómoekùnsajásín attempts to hold on to the leash of the ram offered to the deity. Every godfather must learn to draw the line and be conscious of when he is crossing the red line. Wike, in this crisis, has demonstrated so far that though he is bold, his courage is brash, tactless, and bereft of the necessary ingredients of native intelligence. A man who doesn’t know when to apply the brakes must run with his tail between his legs like Amómoekùnsajásín did in the fable above.
How on earth Wike thinks that Fubara did not learn the banditry that is the hallmark of Wike’s political dynasty in Rivers State is something I cannot comprehend! Why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), did not learn from the wise saying that nobody looks down on a day-old corpse without losing his garment to the gods, interrogates how much of his childhood he spent with the elders. That is a pity.
With the outcome of the Rivers State council election, Wike certainly has something bigger coming for him unless he stops in his tracks now. But whatever may be his lot in the impending loom, I can only wish him a full portion of what he deserves.
My concern here, however, is the implications of the Rivers State shenanigans and political banditry on our democracy. I have no doubt within me that it is not yet Uhuru for the oil-rich state. The days, weeks and months ahead are pregnant.
As I penned this, information filtered in that armed men had set some local government secretariats in Rivers State ablaze in what appeared to be a ‘counterattack’. Unfortunately for the hapless citizens of the state, they have, in this period, the most unprofessional, biased and brazen security agencies to contend with. While the arson lasted, no single security agent was sighted. The arsonists had a field day to operate!
This is where my fear lies. This is where the danger hangs, precariously. A security architecture that allowed non-state actors to supervise the Rivers State council election the way it happened last Saturday can do anything. Such pliable security agencies would look the other way even if the Pope’s Cathedral is set on fire! Rivers State is a ticking bomb!
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in his reaction to the crisis, alluded to how such a political conflagration in the South-West in the 60s truncated the First Republic. I do hope someone is taking notes of the events in Rivers State. A lot of people fought for this democracy. I have checked the list, and I couldn’t find Wike’s name there. Fubara’s name is equally not listed among the ones who swallowed fire so that the present locusts in power could drink water.
This is why all lovers of good things must rise and condemn the destructive tendencies of the Wikes of this era. This democracy is like the proverbial hut which the owner must protect from the ruinous flood aiming at its foundation. The Wikes of this era have enough to take them out of this country if anything odd happens. Many of us with nowhere else to turn must unite in our resolve to save our nation. The docility and complicity of the Presidency in this matter is highly censurable. The roof is about to come down on all of us!
News
Why Sowore Was Taken To Prison After Bail – Police

The court granted bail to Sowore with N500,000 and two sureties, which his legal team was working to perfect at the time of the police action.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja shortly after the incident, human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, accused the police of violently attacking and removing Sowore moments after his bail was granted.
Adeyanju alleged that more than 50 armed officers stormed the court premises, descended on Sowore, and took him away by force while refusing to present a valid remand order.
“Sowore had just been granted bail, and while we were conferring with him here, the police suddenly launched an attack. More than 50 officers violently descended on him and took him away by force. We don’t even know where they have taken him,” he said.
READ ALSO:Why We Arrested Sowore – Police
He said the officer who led the operation briefly displayed what he claimed was a remand order but refused to allow Sowore’s lawyers to inspect it.
Adeyanju said, “The officer flashed the document, and when we insisted on reviewing it, he pocketed it and ordered that they must go.
“When we asked where they were taking him, he said Kuje Prison. We demanded to see the remand order as endorsed by the court, but he refused.”
He further alleged that during the scuffle, the police accused Sowore of insulting the Inspector General of Police, saying, “Because Sowore called the IG useless, they must deal with him.”
READ ALSO:JUST IN: Police Arrest Sowore
The lawyer said the officers tore Sowore’s shirt during the confrontation and dragged him away even as his legal team was still perfecting his bail conditions.
However, while responding to Sowore’s re-arrest via X (formerly Twitter), the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police acted within the law, adding that officers were empowered to use commensurate force to carry out their duties.
Hundeyin, who attached a remand warrant to his post, wrote, “Except we want to be mischievous, we all know that once court grants a suspect bail, it comes with the caveat that until the bail conditions are met, the suspect remains in custody.
“Where it is clearly spelt out on the remand warrant that the suspect be remanded in a correctional facility, not police custody, it is the duty of the police to hand over the suspect to the Nigeria Correctional Service, who would then process his bail conditions.
“This has always been the practice. Why should this be different? Also, as law enforcement officers, we are empowered by law to employ commensurate force to get our mandate achieved.”
News
FIFA’s Use Of Kebbi Stadium In Banner Sparks Outrage, Funding Row

Global football body FIFA has stirred a storm of reactions across Nigeria after showcasing the Birnin Kebbi Stadium project in Kebbi State — a facility co-funded with the Nigeria Football Federation — on its official social media pages.
FIFA on Saturday used an image of the project, dating back to 2023, as the new profile banner on its official X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts.
The image, showing a half-furnished stadium in Birnin Kebbi, quickly went viral.
Built under the FIFA Forward Programme, the stadium was meant to symbolise progress in grassroots football. But as the photo circulated online, fans flooded social media with outrage and speculation.
Some netizens interpreted FIFA’s post as a subtle jab at the NFF, following recent allegations of fund mismanagement.
The uproar comes just days after football critic Chinedu Mobike, via his official Instagram handle #c_mobike, on October 23, 2025, accused the NFF of squandering millions of dollars meant for infrastructure projects, including its twin project in Delta State.
READ ALSO:JUST-IN: NFF Pulls Out Super Eagles From AFCON Qualifier After Libya Airport Nightmare
Mobike, in his viral video, claimed that FIFA gave the NFF “1.2 million dollars for two stadiums” — one in Kebbi and another in Ugborodo, Delta State — which, he alleged, “till today did not see daylight.”
Comparing Nigeria’s FIFA-funded projects with those of other nations, Mobike alleged that while “other countries used the funds to truly develop football, Nigeria produced nothing to show.
“The NFF should sit up…There are no active projects promoting football or sports in Nigeria,” Mobike said.
According to The PUNCH, the next day, Friday, October 24, 2025, the NFF issued an official statement, which it described as a “fresh clarification to misinformation” by some social media users (names not mentioned) who claimed the NFF “collects millions of dollars from FIFA annually to misappropriate.”
The statement, retrieved from the NFF website, was titled: “NFF: Monies received from FIFA & CAF are for specific purposes, and audited in every cycle.”
While Mobike’s video reignited calls for reform, the hashtag #SaveNigerianFootball has been trending on X, as users express frustration and hope that collective pressure might finally bring transparency to Nigerian football governance.
READ ALSO:SWAN Orders Nationwide Boycott Of NFF Activities
In its October 24 statement, the NFF firmly denied any wrongdoing, explaining that every dollar received from FIFA or CAF is tied to a specific purpose and audited annually.
“The monies meant for development purposes are tied to specific projects.
“FIFA Forward funds are properly specified and under strict adherence to financial regulations, compliance, monitoring, and auditing at every stage,” the NFF said.
The Federation cited ongoing FIFA Forward projects such as the NFF/FIFA Players’ Hostel and new training pitches at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, stressing that every phase is verified before funds are released directly to FIFA-approved consultants.
Dismissing the viral reports as “fictitious figures,” the NFF added that those spreading misinformation “would find no reason to seek clout if they had any idea how much it costs to organise a single match of any of the national teams.”
But the clarification failed to calm the storm.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: NFF Appoints New Super Eagles Coach
Instead, FIFA’s quiet profile update on Saturday reignited debate, with many Nigerians reading it as a silent but deliberate signal.
Many questioned how long it would take to fully complete a mini-stadium project that came to light in May 2023, after the groundbreaking event in September 2020 by the former Kebbi governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
In December 2023, it was reported that Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris unveiled the FIFA/NFF-backed stadium project, saying it was designed to “boost the morale of youths in the state.”
He noted that the project cost $1,183,000, with the state government donating four hectares of land and paying ₦19 million in compensation to landowners.
Earlier, in May 2023, FIFA described the Kebbi project as part of its commitment to grassroots football, writing on its website InsideFIFA: “It is no surprise, then, that Birnin Kebbi, the capital of Kebbi, was chosen back in 2020 as the site for the construction of an artificial football pitch now available for young boys and girls to use.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: NFF Appoints New Super Eagles Coach
“Meanwhile, a second pitch is under construction in Ugborodo… these two ambitious projects have received around USD 2 million in funding from FIFA through its Forward Programme.”
Online Reactions
Social media erupted with interpretations and comparisons.
Some users viewed FIFA’s action as subtle recognition rather than mockery. One X user, @Poka741997, wrote: “FIFA updating their header is symbolic. It’s recognition for Nigeria, even if the stadium’s budget is modest by international standards.”
Others saw it as a global embarrassment.
User #_AsiwajuLerry commented: “FIFA changed their Twitter header to the $1.2m stadium built by the NFF. Global shame.”
READ ALSO:Joy As NFF Gifts Super Eagles Coach, Finidi George Car Worth N125m
Echoing that sentiment, #OyokunyiOkon added: “This is embarrassing. The NFF should be ashamed that FIFA is showcasing a $1.2 million ‘stadium’ in Kebbi that clearly reflects misplaced priorities and poor accountability.”
Comparing Nigeria’s project to Senegal’s 50,000-seat Stade Abdoulaye Wade, user #FemiOguntayo2 remarked: “Nigerians want to build a world-class stadium with $1.2m… Haba! We know NFF is corrupt but haba na…
“This is Stade Blaise Sené (also known as Stade du Sénégal or Abdoulaye Wade National Stadium) in Diamniadio, Senegal. Its total construction cost was $270 million, funded largely by the Senegalese government and built by Turkey’s Summa Construction Company. FIFA’s way of mocking the NFF. How did they spend $1.2m on that stadium? Exposing the kwaruption in the NFF?”
Another user, #mario99amr29, suggested FIFA’s post was deliberate: “We know what’s at play.
“If FIFA can display this at the expense of other successful projects, maybe it’s a subtle callout. Nigeria vs Kenya: A case study.”
As of press time, FIFA had yet to issue any official comment explaining the use of the Kebbi stadium image on its banner. PUNCH
News
Police Arrests Principal Supplier Of Weapons To Bandits In Delta

The Special Assignment Team of the Delta state Police Command has arrested a key supplier of weapons to bandit groups in the northern part of Nigeria
The suspect, one Ahmed Ibrahim (31) male, resident of Ekpan in Uvwie local government area, has long been on the command’s watch list for his alleged role in several high-profile kidnapping and armed-robbery operations.
The Commands Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Bright Edafe, in a statement disclosed that acting on credible intelligence from the Force Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), Abuja, operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), led by ASP Julius Robinson, arrested a female suspects, one Jamila Abubakar, at Conoil Filling Station, Warri–Patani Road, Effurun.
READ ALSO:Police Arrest Murder Suspect, Recover Corpse In Delta
The statement revealed that upon her arrest, officers discovered the cash sum of ₦550,000 neatly concealed beneath her bag and suspected to be proceeds from illicit transactions.
According to DAILY POST her apprehension provided a crucial lead that set off a well-coordinated follow-up operation.
“Buildin on that intelligence, the operatives stormed Niger-Cat area of Warri, where they successfully arrested a notorious arms peddler, one Ahmed Ibrahim (31) male, resident of Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area, at about 0725 hrs on 22nd October 2025.
“A search led to the recovery of a bag containing one hundred and fifteen rounds 115 rounds of 7.63mm AK-47 live ammunition, 220 rounds of SMG rifle ammunition, and 32 live cartridges”.
READ ALSO:Police Arrest Murder Suspect, Recover Corpse In Delta
Edafe further noted, that preliminary investigations revealed that, the suspect is a key supplier of weapons to bandit groups in the north and has long been on the Command’s watch list for his alleged role in several high-profile kidnapping and armed-robbery operations.
According to the statement, Ahmed Ibrahim, is also linked to the kidnap and murder of one Ogheneovo Onemu (female), who was abducted on May 27, 2024 at Edjekota community in Ughelli North LGA, and later murdered after a ransom payment of ₦4,000,000.
Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, described the breakthrough as another testament to the Command’s unwavering commitment to stemming the flow of illegal arms, dismantling criminal syndicates, and bringing offenders to justice.
The CP urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information to aid the fight against crime, assuring the public that the Command will sustain its momentum against criminal elements and remain resolute in protecting the lives and property of all law-abiding citizens.
Politics5 days agoTenebe Fingers Edo APC Chieftains As Plot To Replace Him As Chair Thickens
News5 days agoEdeduna Obaseki Descendants Felicitate Benin Monarch On Coronation Anniversary, Birthday
News4 days agoBREAKING: Edo LG Commission Orders Heads On Compulsory Leave
Headline3 days agoUK Cuts Post-study Work Period For Foreign Students
News4 days agoTinubu Nominates New Minister
Headline4 days agoUK Links Nigeria, Others To Poisonous Alcoholic Drinks
Politics4 days agoFULL LIST: Borno Tops In Voter Online Pre-registrations
Metro3 days agoDrama As Kanu Lists Danjuma, Wike, Sanwo-Olu As Witnesses
News3 days agoBREAKING: Tinubu swears In New INEC Chairman, Amupitan
Headline4 days agoTrump Urged Ukraine To Give Up Land In Peace Deal Talks — Official














