It is interesting that one of the first things a Taiwanese asks a visitor to the country is: “Have you visited the Night Market?” If your answer is no, the next response would be “Try it out. Don’t leave Taiwan without going to one.” Gracefully, they are in all neighbourhoods.
With this challenge and testimony from citizens, the night market became a usual hunt for me to taste the flavour and feel the tempo of Taipei. They are like what we had in Africa in the past; markets where things are sold and fun and theatrics are added to make patrons enjoy themselves. Africans and Asians indeed have a lot in common!
Night markets in Taiwan are said to have sprung up around temples, of which there are legions, during the Tang dynasty. During this period, traders and sellers of various articles and food gathered at night fall to sell their wares to workers who were there to pay obeisance to the gods. This tradition of night market grew and blossomed after World War II with the arrival new urban workers and migrants. It grew in leaps and bounds and by the late 20th century places like Shilin, Shida, Gongguan, and so on sprung up with growing corner shops.
The night markets are usually held by street sides and corners where traders set up their mobile kiosks with assorted food and articles. However, at the end of each day, all dirt and traces of last night trading have vanished because they all make sure they clean up the streets. They are where delicacies are beautifully displayed and all a customer needs to do is make a choice from French fries to noodles, special Taiwanese fried chicken (which was my favourite), vegetables, duck meat, beef, fish, pork and so on. However, I still think the varieties are limited, not as many as we have in Nigeria.
Beside the interesting night markets, there are other places to visit in Taipei alone. One of the most iconic places that I found very educating and exciting is the Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) Memorial Hall. It is a vast swath of land with iconic Chinese/Taiwanese styled buildings with history writ large. It is a place where visitors from all over the world converge on a daily basis soaking in the breath of the spectacle of the memorial arcade. The size and grandiloquence of the buildings are breathtaking, all embossed in mostly white and Taiwanese colours, Visitors to the monuments are captivated and mesmerized in the splendour of the buildings. Chiang Kai-shek (October 31,1887 –April 5 ,1975) was a politician, revolutionary, and military commander and leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 until his death in 1975.
A stone throw from the Memorial Hall is the National Central Library (NCL). It is a grand building that gives a lie to those who think the world has moved away from reading books. The NCL is a living testimony to the fact that technology may have affected the world of books but it has not in any way diminished its importance. The multi-floored building on a daily basis hosts thousands of Taiwanese and foreigners who troop in to read and conduct researches. Students, young and old visit and get soaked in knowledge. The managers of Nigeria’s National Library perhaps need to visit and get to see how a viable library is run in this age of technology.
As for what a university library should be like, the place to turn to is the National Chengi University (NCCU) Library with its curvaceous building that is a cynosure on the campus. It is multi-layered with very large reading and meeting rooms, and electronic sections that could be used to host private or public meetings. It is so massive that it does not look like a university library but a national library. But this is not surprising. NCCU is the country’s elite university established by CKS to train the country’s top elites and administrators.
The CKS’s statue sitting on a horse stands tall in the centre of the road that serves as the fork to various parts of the campus. It is a massive statue draped with many myths and stories. The horse is rumoured to be capable of shifting positions from time to time, especially at night! According to the myth, it could be seen lifting its right front leg at a particular time of the night, while at another it would be the left with CKS waving!!
When CKS moved to Taiwan from China, he decided to establish the elite university as a production mill to supply the administration with intellectuals and first grade administrators to run the engine of the new government. To a large extent this has been achieved. It was only recently that the university began to run science courses; it was devoted to producing top grade administrators.
The Taipei Zoo is another place of interest to visit for anyone in search of rare animals, while the most sobering place to go is the National Human Rights Museum. A visit here would fill you with goose pimples. It is scary. It houses the grim records and pictures of the Martial Law period otherwise known as the ‘White Terror’. The period when Taiwan went through one of its most depressing periods under a terrible dictatorship. I have never visited Rwanda, but I was told that this museum and that of Rwanda are similar; a place of record to remind us as humans that we should never allow history to repeat itself. Tyranny kills; autocracy is deadly and not an option. No wonder Taiwan is a flourishing democracy.
(To be continued)
Dr Oyegbile, journalist and media scholar just concluded a postdoctoral fellowship at Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).
•Family rejects police claims of generator fume, demands autopsy
Sorrow, grief and anguish unsettled the compound of the Obele family in Ogale, Rivers State on Wednesday. There was wailing from different corners of the house whose occupants had known nothing but agony since January 11.
What could have been responsible for the sudden death of an entire family of six in a single night and in the same enclosure?
Theophilus Obele, father, 49 years old; Eunice, wife, 35; Saka, son, 18; Peace, daughter, 14; Nyimenka, daughter, 7 and Abel Nwaka in-law, 25, all vivacious and young people, slept on Saturday in their village’s two-bedroom flat but could not wake up the next day. They all died untimely with their dreams and aspirations buried in a jiffy.
The Obele 5 returned to their home town in Ogale from Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State on January 1 to enjoy the yuletide in the village as was their regular practice. They spent over a week at the village and got ready to travel back to the city. They invited their in-law, the younger brother to Eunice, wife of Theophilus, to their home to help them in parking their belongings. His arrival increased their number to six.
They had prepared to leave for Port Harcourt on Sunday morning. Theophilus, the father was to resume his work at Onne Port on Monday while the children geared up to return to school the same Monday. Therefore, the Sunday journey was inevitable. Returning to Port Harcourt would take less than an hour’s drive.
The holiday was over and they dreamed of recalling the memories of the period later in Port Harcourt and maybe share their experiences with their friends in the city. But the memories died with them immediately they went to bed on Saturday. They could not wake up to see the daylight of Sunday. Everything paused. No more journey, no more schools and no more work. They were all found stone cold in various positions in the house.
Their deaths shattered the peace of Eleme and sent shockwaves into the spines of everyone that heard about it. How can the entire family die in one night? How can the lineage of one man end in a twinkle without any survivor? Was their untimely demise natural or was there a foul play?
Some wondered if someone had poisoned the food they ate before retiring to bed.
While the confusion of the cause of their deaths persisted, the police said their preliminary investigations suggested that they died from inhaling carbon monoxide from the generator they stationed close to their house.
The police said: “Preliminary investigation suggests possible generator fume poisoning as the cause of death. The generator was reportedly left on in the parlour of the Victims.
“The corpses have been deposited at Last Home Mortuary, Ebubu Eleme, for autopsy. Photographic evidence has been taken, and investigation is ongoing”.
However, the extended family members rejected the first verdict of the police. They maintained that the report was not in tandem with the reality and wondered why the police hastily blamed the cause of death on generator fume.
They argued that since they came back home, the generator had supplied them electricity from the same spot without any issue. Where was the generator located?
Investigations showed that the building where the tragedy occurred is a two-bedroom flat. It has a wide living room. From the main entrance into the living room, there is a door at the right rear that leads to the back of the house.
Behind the door is a balcony and beside it at the right hand side is a three-ft window secured with an iron burglary. It is at that balcony the generator is kept. From the living room at the left rear is a door that opens into another lobby where the master’s and the children’s rooms are located.
This axis of the lobby is far from the balcony where the newly acquired generator was kept. With such distance, most people find it difficult to believe that the generator was capable of producing enough fume to kill the deceased.
The younger brother to Theophilus, Godwill Ogoso, vehemently dismissed the position of the police. He said the deceased bubbled with life on the eve of their death. In fact, he narrated how he spent quality time with his brother till 12am at midnight when he decided to recline into his bed.
He said: “The night before the incident, my brother and family were okay and healthy. We were all together outside till 12am having discussions, because they were supposed to go back on the 11th of January 2026, which was on Sunday.
“He was supposed to resume work on Monday and his kids were expected to resume school too. He works with Onne Port. We were outside till that time when he entered the house and I entered my house too.
“He has been using this same generator on the same spot since 1st of January when he came with his family and nothing had happened.”
Recalling how he discovered the incident and raised the alarm, he said: “I woke up on Sunday and went to the back house to pump water since the generator was on. I pumped till the water was full and I switched it off.
“I noticed that the generator was still on and they were still sleeping. But I decided not to disturb their sleep since they were leaving that same day.
“I entered and slept off till 1pm when my little niece came to tap on the door asked, ‘Uncle, why is brother and the wife still sleeping till this time?’ I shouted, ’till now?’
“By then the generator had gone off. I tried reaching out to them on the phone; the phone kept ringing but no one picked up.
“I kept trying and banging on the door but no one was responding. My mother and my wife kept panicking and I was trying to calm them down, still looking out for alternatives”.
Godwill said he decided to forcefully open the door and became the first to behold the tragedy. Their various positions of death baffled him. Their remains seemed well-arranged in their father’s room. But the remains of the wife were found in the toilet after she had finished defecating.
Godwill tearfully narrated: “I forcefully opened one of the windows because everywhere was locked and they were dead.
“The house is a two-bedroom apartment with children’s room and masters room. What baffles me is how they were neatly arranged in the master’s bedroom.
“How did the children and in-law leave their rooms to be in one room and the wife was found dead in the toilet after stooling?
“The eldest son was found lying by the bed alongside a plate. The first daughter was lying on the bed with saliva and foams from the mouth, same with their last born.
“My brother was on the floor and his in-law was lying beside the door and he was bleeding from the nose and ears without any visible injury.”
The horrible scene could continue to cast everlasting torment to the memories of Godwill till death. “I was shocked beholding that scene. Even the son and daughter too were bleeding.
“When we tried lifting the daughter, we found faeces under her dress too, proving that they struggled till death. There were no suspicious movements in the neighbourhood and we had no issue with anyone,” he said.
Wrapping his head around the possibility of a third party being responsible for the agonising development, Godwill said his family had no issue with anyone apart from what he described as a small land dispute, which he said was swiftly resolved at the police station the same day the incident occurred.
He said: “But we had a small family dispute concerning the building and the fence and we were before the DPO of Eleme police station on Thursday, Friday and Saturday when they closed the case and settled everything about it. That same night, they slept and never woke up again.
“The family involved in the case were not available. We are not accusing anyone, but there’s more to this incident. We are still waiting for the results of the samples collected by the Ministry of Health in Rivers State.”
Insisting that the incident had nothing to do with generator fumes, he said: “We are begging and calling on the government to assist us and speed up the process. We want to know what really killed them. This isn’t generator fumes but a murder case.
“The local government chairman was here to see us and urged the ministry of health to be fast in their investigation. He asked us not to be in haste to bury them because he also is interested in knowing how six persons just died in his local government.
“We thank the chairman for coming. We know it is not easy for him to show up, but he did and has been helpful in playing the role of a leader. He promised us the results would be out. We have a mother who is aged.”
Godwill lamented that his deceased elder brother was the breadwinner of the family and the one taking care of their aged mother. “He is the only one who assists us and now we don’t have anybody to help us.
“We want the government to intervene. My mother is still in shock losing her child, grandchildren, daughter-in-law and in-law. It looks somehow,” he said.
Another young brother to the deceased Theophilus, who identified himself as Elero Obele, said he went outside the community on an errand commissioned by his deceased brother when he received the news of the incident. He said the brother had sent him to bring the elder sister of their mum to come and see the house he built for their mother.
He said: “On Saturday evening around 9 to 10pm, my elder brother called me and sent me on an errand to go pick our aunt from Akposia. She is the elder sister to our mother and he wanted her to come see the house he built for our mother.
“He works at Onne and wanted her to come stay with her since he was going back to Port Harcourt with his family. We concluded that on Saturday night.
“On Sunday, by five minutes past 1pm, I called him based on our agreement but he did not respond. I felt he was in church since I don’t stay here with them.
“I was at Aleto when my younger brother called that I should start coming because our elder brother and family were dead.
“I asked him what happened, he said he did not know because he only realised it when the wife’s sister came and he was calling but no one responded to their calls.
“They noticed from the window. The younger brother of the wife only came in that Saturday night so he could assist them in packing up their luggage.
“According to our customs and tradition, we bathed them before depositing their bodies at the mortuary. No investigation is being carried out yet.
“On Monday, we saw a team from the Rivers State Ministry of Health who came to get samples of the food they ate and the blood samples from their mouth.
“Currently, we are hearing from the Rivers State police command that my brother and family died from generator fumes, which is not correct.
“They haven’t done anything or obtain an autopsy report to truly know wat killed them, so why is the rumour going round that it’s generator fumes?
“The generator was a brand new one, and it was kept there since they came on the 1st of January. We don’t have money to conduct any test. That is the breadwinner of the family who left us without a word.
“We are calling on the government to help us with the test review and let it be in their investigation records if they find out it is related to the fumes as claimed.”
The Executive Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Chief Obarilomate Ollor, paid a condolence visit to the family. He described the incident as painful and shocking.
Ollor expressed sorrow over the unfortunate occurrence and conveyed the heartfelt sympathy of Eleme Local Government Council to the affected family. He noted that the loss of multiple family members under such circumstances is a tragedy no household should be made to endure.
He said a comprehensive investigation would be conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, adding that the probe would include necessary medical examinations and autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and rule out any form of human error.
Ollor said the investigation was intended to address public concerns, dispel fears, ensure clarity, and appropriate response where necessary. He urged the bereaved family to find strength and consolation in God during the difficult period, while also encouraging them to remain united and peaceful.
As sympathies poured in for the bereaved family, the police are expected to carry out a full-scale investigation into the matter to determine whether it was actually carbon monoxide emissions from the generator that killed the bubbling family of six.
They must spread their dragnet to capture all potential suspect including those portraying their innocence. But despite the report of any investigation, the painful memory of the incident will continue to haunt the family.
There are builders who construct edifices, and then there are visionaries who design systems that transform entire nations. Dr. Tunde Popoola belongs to the latter category, a rare breed of leader who saw what others couldn’t see: that Nigeria’s economic potential was locked behind walls of information asymmetry, and that the key to unlocking prosperity for millions lay in creating a credit infrastructure where none existed. He witnessed how banks struggled with information asymmetry, how customers played institutions against each other, and how the absence of reliable credit information stifled lending and economic growth.
As the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRC Credit Bureau Limited, he didn’t just build a company; he engineered a fundamental shift in how Nigeria’s financial system operates, turning the abstract concept of “credit history” into a tangible tool for economic empowerment that now touches over 100 million lives.
On his birthday today, we celebrate a highly accomplished economist, banker, and business leader with over 30 years of experience spanning banking, public-sector and financial infrastructure building in Nigeria.
‘Tunde holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, two Master’s degrees in Economics and Banking & Finance from the University of Lagos, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He also attended advanced executive education programmes at Lagos Business School, Wharton, Harvard, IMD Switzerland, Cambridge and Kellogg, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
He is widely respected within Nigeria’s professional and business community, holding fellowships and memberships across key institutions in accounting, banking, taxation, management, risk, governance, and capital markets. These affiliations reflect both the depth of his expertise and his long-standing commitment to professional excellence and ethical leadership. He also established Savannah Business School, focused on finance, leadership, and enterprise development, and has personally mentored and guided several businesses to sustainable growth across education, travel, and leadership development.
His leadership extends to corporate governance, having served, and continuing to serve, as Chairman or Independent Non-Executive Director on the boards of several companies across technology, finance, education and media. He is also a highly sought-after speaker, researcher, and thought leader in economics, finance, credit reporting, business management, and sustainability.
Professionally, Dr. Popoola built a successful career in banking, rising to Chief Finance Officer and General Manager of a publicly listed bank, before serving as the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) from 2005 to 2008, an FCT Administration initiative supported by DFID to drive entrepreneurship and SME development.
During his tenure, he successfully transformed AEA from a conceptual initiative into a functional institution with measurable impact, launching flagship programmes that promoted youth entrepreneurship, SME capacity building, and private-sector engagement across the FCT.
His leadership delivered notable outcomes during this period, AEA introduced Entrepreneurs’ Clubs in secondary schools across the FCT, using the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) curriculum.
One of the standout successes was Junior Secondary School, Jikwoyi, which went on to represent Nigeria at the global SAGE World Cup in Odessa, Ukraine, returning home with the trophy and making history for both Nigeria and Africa, the creation of annual SME conferences and business plan competitions, and the development of platforms that supported SME visibility, networking, and business growth. He also designed entrepreneurship programmes for NYSC members, enabling many to launch their own businesses.
In recognition of his impact, Dr. Popoola received a special ministerial commendation in 2007 and was subsequently appointed to the AEA Board in his personal recognition and served from 2008 to 2015. This experience strengthened his understanding of SME financing gaps and entrepreneurship development, providing critical insights that later shaped his leadership in addressing Nigeria’s credit information and financial inclusion challenges.
In 2008, when Dr. Popoola assumed leadership of CRC Credit Bureau Limited, established by a consortium of ten leading financial institutions in partnership with Dun & Bradstreet, he stepped into uncharted territory. Credit bureaus were foreign to most Nigerians. The infrastructure didn’t exist. Skeptics questioned whether such a system could work in Nigeria.
In 2011, he led the Managing Directors of the other two credit bureaus in Nigeria to meet with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria trying to address the challenge of absence of unique identification in Nigeria. Under the auspices of the Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria (CBAN), they made a presentation to the Bankers’ Committee on February 14, 2012 titled “Credit Bureaus and Nigerian Banks: Partnering for Growth,” which advocated for a unique identification system. The Bankers’ Committee adopted a resolution that led to the introduction of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) in Nigeria, a foundational infrastructure that has since become indispensable to Nigeria’s financial system. He also took active part in the discussion of the bill that led to the enactment of the National Credit Reporting Act of 2017. As the interim Chairman of Africa Credit Information Sharing Association (ACISA), he is championing deepening credit reporting in Africa and promoting cross-border credit information sharing.
Under Dr. Popoola’s leadership, CRC has consistently refused to settle for the status quo, driving continuous innovation across Nigeria’s credit ecosystem. He has championed the development and launch of fifteen distinct products and services, including CRC Score, Nigeria’s first indigenous credit scoring system developed in collaboration with FICO.
CRC also introduced the 360-Degree Customer View, which provides comprehensive customer profiling by integrating alternative data sources and behavioural insights, as well as API integrations that enable real-time access to credit information and seamless lending workflows.
In 2022, CRC underwent a strategic evolution with the establishment of CRC Data and Analytics Limited (CDAL), transitioning into a group structure and expanding its offerings beyond traditional credit reporting into comprehensive data and analytics solutions.
In addition, the CRC Financial Education Centre (CFEC) has trained thousands of professionals and individuals in credit risk management, data analytics, and financial literacy, strengthening industry capacity and consumer awareness. Through international partnerships, CRC has also enhanced its technical capabilities and global alignment, enabling the adoption of world-class standards and best practices across Nigeria’s credit infrastructure. These innovations reflect Dr. Popoola’s understanding that access to credit must be accompanied by technology, education, and continuous adaptation to market needs.
Under Tunde’s leadership, CRC has garnered numerous accolades: Best Loan Application Service Provider (2014), Best Credit Bureau of the Year (2018 and 2019), and awards by Capital Finance International (CFI.co) as the Best Credit Bureau in Nigeria for six consecutive years (2020-2025). The award panel once asserted: “CRC is the largest credit reporting agency in Nigeria, responsible for over 95% of the nation’s recorded credit data from commercial banks, non-bank institutions, utility companies and retailers. This impressive market share is the result of a well-designed organisational structure, fine-tuned processes, and highly principled governance.” Forbes Africa Magazine’s 2023/2024 Edition featured CRC for its pivotal role in advancing financial inclusion.
Beyond these leadership roles, Dr. Popoola’s impact has continued to earn him wide-ranging national and continental recognition. He holds several other awards and recognitions especially for his role in entrepreneurship, business management, finance, and youth empowerment. These include Ambassador for Peace and the Nigerian winner of the 1st Pan African Prize for Entrepreneurial Teachers in 2007. He is a proud recipient of special Ministerial recognition and commendation for his innovation and promotion of youth enterprise in the FCT. He was named the Credit Bureau CEO of the year in 2018.
In 2023, he was conferred with the Sir Ahmadu Bello platinum award of excellence as an icon of societal development by the National Association of Northern Nigerian Students (NANNS). He was named the most astute MD/CEO of the year in 2025 for business innovation and tactical management. He has served multiple terms as Chairman of the Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria (2015, 2018, 2021) and Chairman of the Lagos and District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (2007-2009).
Dr. Popoola is involved in a lot of community service. He has been the National President of Sepeteri Community since 2001. He founded Tomeb Foundation for Youth Development and Sustainability with interest in education, entrepreneurship, leadership and sustainability.
Tomeb Foundation has granted scholarships to several brilliant indigent secondary school students and students in tertiary institutions since 2012. The Foundation also studied and presented reports on Entrepreneurship and Youth Entrepreneurship in Nigeria (2013 – 2025) under the auspices of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). He has helped to establish and guide many businesses to sustainable profit and growth.
He is frequently invited to speak, present, and contribute research on entrepreneurship, credit reporting, finance, and economics, reflecting his strong reputation and influence across these fields.
When Tunde started CRC, his personal vision was clear: “To facilitate consumer lending and the economy in Nigeria.” Nearly two decades later, he reflects: “We are not yet there… but we have been able to change lending practices. Before the credit bureaus, there was little lending to small businesses and consumers. They had no records. Today, many banks have SME desks because we have been able to provide the data that gives the banks an ability to do their credit analysis and to minimise risk of default.”
His legacy lives in reduced loan defaults that strengthened Nigeria’s banking system, improved Ease of Doing Business rankings, and countless stories of entrepreneurs, families, and young professionals who accessed opportunities previously beyond reach, all made possible by the infrastructure he built.
At a time when many would rest on accumulated achievements, Dr. Popoola remains focused on what lies ahead. He envisions Nigeria reaching credit penetration levels comparable to developed economies. He sees every Nigerian, regardless of social and economic status, having the opportunity to build credit history and access financial resources to pursue their dreams.
Under his continued leadership, CRC is expanding product offerings, deepening analytical capabilities, and exploring AI and machine learning to enhance credit assessment. The group structure positions the organisation to play an even broader role in Nigeria’s data economy, with potential to benefit other African nations facing similar challenges.
For all his professional demands, Dr. Popoola remains grounded in family and faith, values that guide how he conducts business and treats people. He is known for his humility and genuine commitment to developing others. At CRC, he has built a culture of excellence, innovation, and integrity that attracts and retains top talent. His mentorship of young professionals and entrepreneurs reflects a deep commitment to building human capital.
Tunde is a committed family man whose personal life reflects the same values that define his leadership – faith, care and purpose. For him, the family is a constant source of grounding and strength, providing the clarity and renewal that enable him to lead with empathy, balance, and conviction.
As he marks another year, Dr. Popoola can look with satisfaction on a career that has changed Nigeria for the better. The credit bureau he pioneered has become indispensable infrastructure. The innovations he championed have enabled millions to access opportunities. The team he built continues to drive excellence. The standards he set continue to elevate the industry.
But the work is far from finished. There are still millions without credit histories to bring into the system, innovations to develop, and a vision of full financial inclusion to realise.
Today, we celebrate Dr. Tunde Popoola, not only for what has been achieved, but for what continues to unfold. Happy Birthday to a leader whose work proves that when vision meets courage, institutions are born, and nations move forward.
Prophet Israel Oladele is the Shepherd- In- Charge of the Celestial Church of Christ Genesis Global. He is also an honorary distinguished member of the Centre for Democratic Governance in Africa. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, he opens up on his life, battles, relationships with the National Chairman of the National Road Transport Workers Union (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya a.k.a. MC Oluomo, iconic Fuji artistes Wasiu Ayinde and Alabi Wasiu (Pasuma), the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland Otunba Gani Adams and Pastor Matthew Asihmolowo. Excerpts:
At what point did you decide to answer God’s call?
That happened about two decades ago. Before then, I was squatting in a Celestial Church, Paradise Parish. I was born into Islam, and I grew up in the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), off Brown Street, Oshodi, Lagos. That was where my parents gave their lives to Christ. Since then, I have been known as a church boy. I played instruments in the church. Until then, we had never played instruments in my family. But, you know, it was the gift of God.
Why is it that many people tend to have negative perception of white garment churches?
What brought me to the Celestial Church is what really affects this country and the whole world, which is religion. God is not a God of any religion. Christianity is not a religion but a way of life. Islam is not a religion; it is a way of life. Before I came into Celestial Church, the perception we had about the church was that Celestial Church was a barbaric church; that they were into rituals. But all these are lies, big lies. I believe that it was what those who brought Pentecostalism were using to preach their own gospel, relegating what has been given to other people.
God raised Orimolade, S.B. Oshoffa, Apostle Ayodele Babalola, just as God raised Elijah, Elisha, Paul, and Peter. But the thing that made people look at white garment churches in a negative way actually connects to the white garment. When anybody wears a white garment, and they see him carrying a calabash, they say he is a Cele person. If anybody wears a white garment and he is carrying a chicken, they say he is a Cele person or a Cherubim person.
You have to appreciate the fact that though those people were not educated, they were spiritually endowed. You can never undermine the place of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not belong to any church.
It is very unusual to see someone from a CAC background becoming a Celestial prophet. How did your parents react to this audacious ‘switch’?
The thing that led me to Celestial Church was love. You know in other churches you have to change clothes every Sunday, but I was born without a silver spoon in my mouth. My parents were so poor that my mother wore the same clothes for four years.
When we moved from Christ Apostolic Church, we moved to Alagbado and started attending a church in front of my father’s house, where he built a six-room bungalow. We had to change clothes every Sunday. It got to a point where my father said we had to stop going to the place, because he had no clothes to change. There, anytime you wanted to give an offering, you would dance around the offering basket before dropping the offering, but my mum had no money to drop. My mum would just dance around the offering basket with empty hands.
Meanwhile, we were living on my father’s small farm. He planted cassava in all the abandoned buildings in the area. After harvest, we would take them to the market and sell them.
Things changed when one of the church members mocked my mum. She said in pidgin that my mum was always the first person to get to church, and the last person to leave the church, yet she was the poorest. It was the truth.
Anybody reading this might have experienced this before. I remember that I wore one pair of jeans trousers for four or five years. I was a major labourer. Where we are now, I served some of the landlords. My mum did not understand what the person said because she didn’t understand English. But I heard and I felt bad.
In that church, they had deacons and deaconesses. They would have to pledge and pay a levy, but we had no money to give. Anytime our pastor was preaching, he would be condemning those who were not giving in his sermons. This pained my dad a lot. If he had the money, he would have paid. If my mum had the money, she would have been supporting. My father happened to be a very voracious reader when it comes to the Bible. He had nothing to do but plant and read the Bible.
Anytime the pastor was preaching, he would just divert to giving, that the more you gave, the more beautiful your house in heaven would be. The more you gave, that was the more money they would use to build your house in heaven. My father would say, no, that is a lie, that is not what the Bible says, and he stopped going to church.
After my mum was insulted, I walked down the street and I saw some people gathered, wearing white, gisting. I was inquisitive. I felt this is what they call Cele. I thought inside me that these were the people called ritualists. I wanted to know if they were really ritualists. I sat with them, they embraced me. They cooked and we ate. Mind you, it wasn’t because of the food, it was because of the love.
I’m a man who wants everybody around me to be happy. It has been my nature. That was how my mother trained us. Remember that we were Muslims. I felt unlike the former one that would condemn you. I said this man (Cele pastor) did not drive me away; he did not rebuke me for not wearing the sutana (celestial white garment). He now asked if I would like to join the service on the second day, I said no problem, and they gave me a sutana without paying. Even when I was going, they gave me N10.00 as thank you for worshipping with us. I just decided that instead of going to a church where we would be changing clothes, let me go to a place where I did not have to change clothes. Everybody wears white, nobody knows who is rich. That was how I joined the Celestial church.
Meanwhile, the mockery of my parents continued in my former church at Alagbado. The war started when they discovered that I had joined Cele. Any sermon like this, they would be preaching about a prodigal son, condemning me. It was worse because I was the first born while my mother was a deaconess and my father was a deacon. It was like how can you have a child that you cannot control, and also attend a church where they don’t know God.
That was how I stopped going home and started sleeping in the church.
While staying in the church, I started fasting, you know, fasting was part of my life. In my family, we were fasting, even if you had a headache, we would fast or drink water. But joining Cele made me realise that some of the things they were talking about were not true. Of course, some people would wear that garment and perpetrate evil, which will make people conclude that the Celestial man did it.
While living in that church, God later gave me the spirit of prophecy. He started using me for the church and to the glory of God, from one place to the other, from one plot of land, God has brought us this far.
You are considered a controversial person in certain quarters. You had an encounter with one of your members, which later led to your incarceration. There are many versions of that story. What actually happened?
I don’t want to go back into it again, because I have talked and talked about it. You know why? Because if I go back to it again, the news will be watered by the time the movie comes out.
And some artistes will pick the better part of it, and act before my movie comes out.
What was supposed to dry me multiplied me. That is how to confirm God. What was supposed to erase me raised me. Romans 8:28 says ‘Everything worketh together for good for those that love God and are called according to his purpose.’
How can you be trusted when you have not been tested by God? Let any man of God come out in the world, in Nigeria, who has gone through that and survived it. Apostle Babalola was the first person to go to prison, and he spent six months there. He didn’t steal, he didn’t kill. How can you call yourself a soldier who wants to get a promotion without facing trials? If you are not ready to face the music of life, you can never become the choir master. It was a good one. I’m very happy that many things came out of it.
The accuser was a weapon for my advancement. The situation was to refine me. That was a refiner fire. Why would I blame anyone? I didn’t die in it, the church multiplied. How can you be in confinement and the church is growing? Even there, God used me to deliver many people; about 30 of them or more.
The day they took me to court in 2009, I was kidnapped. I will advise people now that if police come for their arrest, tell them to go to the nearest police station first and report the case before they go. I would have been killed then. I was studying, wearing ordinary boxers, and that was how they took me to court. You think I’m not pained, I am pained. I can forgive, I will never forget. As we were going, they said call anybody you want to call because you are not going to Panti, you are going to court. Who does that? Everything had been arranged.
One of the things that came out of it was a law firm that showed interest in the case…
There were lots of good lawyers that I never met before who showed interest in the case. How will you know that God is with you when a trial comes, and God starts raising people for you who did not even know you at all? One of the leading preachers, whom I never met before, surprisingly came into the matter. Many people are behind the scenes. People started bringing money; I said it was not money. The land they said I didn’t buy, it is still there now. I can’t take you to the place. I won’t build it. Till tomorrow, it is still there.
The accuser was a weapon for advancement. The situation was to refine me; that was a refiner’s fire. Why would I blame anyone? Instead of that, the church multiplied. How can you be in confinement, and the church is growing? In there, God used me to deliver so many people, about 30 of them. There was a person whose leg was about to be amputated. I facilitated his treatment, and he is walking now. Will that one forget me in life? Will he not see it that my problem was his own solution?
I understand that you have a foundation called Israel Oladele Foundation. To what extent has it achieved its objectives?
Nobody is bankrolling me. If I make a little money now, I will think about it. Because of what I had been through, I was a bus conductor for many years. I slept in the market for many years. I hawked bread for many years. I hawked oranges for many years. I don’t force people to pay tithe. Those that are paying tithe, I preach the gospel. I don’t force it. The little tithes coming, we use it to pay widows in the church. The ones that collects the least collects N25,000. My mother is a widow, and she is not part of it.
I have people that I’m praying for, I have people that I’m not praying for that love me and have become my friend. People like Seyi Vodi, creative people, people who appreciate humanity and ingenuity. Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, if he wanted to charge he would have charged N20 million. He said he wanted to come to our church, and he performed at the altar. All the songs that he sang were Christian songs. I can send you the video.
I was the one who gave the Aare Ona Kakanfo prophecy some years back, but I didn’t know the meaning of Aare Ona Kakanfo. I was just with him, and I said ‘I’m seeing a seat for you sir in Yorubaland. That seat is a seat you think you can never get to, and will make you the greatest among the Yoruba people. Three years after, he called me on the phone and said his name had been shortlisted among the people to be considered for the post of Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. I told him he would come tops. He said if I became the Aare Ona Kakanfo, no matter his position, he would come to our church. I would roll on the floor to glorify God.
This was someone people described as fetish. Come to your church and roll on the floor; does that not mean the person knows God?
He said he wanted to support the church. I said I don’t need your money, sir. He said no, he must do it. I said he could use the money to buy sutana. 80 percent of our members are from Pentecostal right now, because we preach, we do marriage seminars, we do conferences. I preach precept upon precept. This month we are teaching on new dimensions.
Celestial church is regarded as a church where you have the highest number of beautiful women. How have you been managing?
You are very correct because do you know what white colour does? No matter how ugly you are, if you wear white, the purity of that colour brings out your beauty.
Are you not distracted by these beautiful women?
How can I be distracted?
Do you sometimes face temptations?
Temptations will come, but discipline will overrule them. When you came, you saw me with my wife here. Apart from that, what is my size? What is my height? How can I marry two wives or three wives? It is not that I’m perfect. I’m not Jesus. But discipline has enabled me to overcome temptations. My mum is still a CAC member. Till today, she doesn’t use earrings, but all my sisters are with me.
You were accused by an actress…
There was a lady that lied against me. She is an actress. I have never seen her in my life.
She said I did something to her. Police arrested her and took her case to the Federal High Court.
She said she told me and said that there was a house she wanted to sell, and that the person who would help her sell it would have to sleep with her first. She would pay 10 million naira, and after that, they would help her sell the house.
You have many books on your shelf. How voracious are you when it comes to reading?
I don’t go out; my books are my friends. Those books were written by many people. Imagine how many friends I would have had if they were human beings. Friends will betray me, but my books will not betray me. This is half of what I have. These are my investments. If I travel, I use half of what I have to buy books. If I tell people that I didn’t attend any university, they won’t believe me. I went to the University of Adversity, Faculty of Problems, and Department of Troubles. Instead of me complaining and blaming my parents, I took to studying.
Who are the people you look up to in Christianity?
My coach is Bishop T.D Jakes. I go to his church for seminars and conferences. I buy tickets from here.My spiritual father, who taught me how to pray very well, is Pastor Wole Oladiyun of CLAM. My spiritual father is Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo. That is why I’m following his path in real estate; the only man who has taken me to his room with my wife. He is a genuine man of God.
What is your goal in life?
My goal is to have many schools, not many churches. I’m not praying to be the head of the Celestial Church. I’m not praying to be the head of any church. I’m only playing my part. I don’t want to have many branches. I want to have many free schools instead of churches.
Some people would ask me how we are going to finance the school. I would ask them how are we financing the church? It is the same money they contribute in church we will use to pay teachers. When people are well educated, they will be revelated; when they are revelated, they will be educated. Instead of me having 30 branches, let me have 30 schools. Whoever wants to partner with me should come with transparency. It will be well audited.
I understand that you have a football academy or is it a club?
Yes, we have a football Club. We use this to support people. They went to Manchester, where they won a competition. I didn’t take a dime from anybody, or visa racketeering. I have since returned their passports to them.
The good thing about this is that some of them are with different clubs over there. I didn’t collect a dime from them. That is my concept about church: to support, assist and impact lives.
Do you belong to any of the associations of Christian bodies?
I’m a Celestian. We are under the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). We have a pastor, our head Pastor Emmanuel S.B. Oshoffa is the person I report to. I’m just a servant leader. My level is even the smallest. My own goal is to think about how we are going to have our farm, celestial farm, celestial estate, instead of collecting money from our members, not planning for them on how to build houses.
How receptive are the conservative Cele leaders to the reforms you are introducing?
I wasn’t born into the Celestial Church; So many celestial people fought me. Some of them have never been here before. I’m in mufti while you are interviewing me. Sme of them will have to wear their sutana before they talk to you, but that is not me. I read the Bible. I study. When they started waging war, I was doing my own thing.
In the Celestial Church, they said they don’t use red, so I fought them. Look at this wristwatch, Richard Mille. A footballer bought it, and dashed me. I know how much it cost. You now preach that I’m wearing red, I fight them. What is the colour of the blood? Red. What is the colour of the blood of Jesus? Red. They say Celestians don’t use black things. What is the colour of our speaker? Black.
There are things I will preach that won’t augur well with them. Like in our church here, we don’t spray money during our harvest while others spray money. We don’t do this because we don’t want anybody to feel less. We don’t have special chairs for any special person.
During our harvest, the National President of the NURTW Musiliu Akinsanya a.k.a. MC Oluomo came. Many prominent people came. If you start calling them one by one, and they start spraying money, how will the people who do not have money feel? Whom do we impress?
There are so many things we don’t do. They will say ah, Genesis is not Cele o, he is not part of us. But when they see me they can’t ignore me; they embrace me. You won’t ignore the truth. You won’t ignore the word. You won’t ignore the proof. Only a fool will doubt the proof. I have had a series of problems with some Cele leaders.
I’m currently building a church in Isheri. If you don’t want to wear sutana, you can go there and worship.
Will this not get you into bigger trouble?
Another name for success is controversy. Tell me the name of the church of Jesus Christ. He said upon this mountain I will build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail over. What are we preaching? The gospel, not church.
You have been associated with a lot of celebrities. Many people would say you are a man of God, you should keep away from worldly things…
I told you that Jesus is my mentor. Jesus was also asked these questions. When they asked Jesus why are you eating with sinners? He said he did not come for those who were clean, who were not sinners; he said he came for those who were sinners. Why did he go to Zacchaeus’ house? Was Zacchaeus a born-again Christian? Peter was a tax collector. So, that has answered it.
They are very close to me because they have seen the result, to the glory of God, according to the way God has called me.
MC came from Oshodi; I’m from Oshodi, too. Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde came by himself to come and praise God in our church. Was that not a plus? 70 per cent of Wasiu Ayinde’s boys are Celestial boys. They are Christians; they are the ones playing music. I was one of the instrumentalists. I have never played for him before, but I was playing music for some of the artistes. They can’t remember me again.
You were invited to preach in an Islamic programme. What was the experience like?
Of course, the Imams were there, and when I finished talking, I was motivated. I didn’t quote many bible verses. I spoke about character, I spoke about goodwill, I spoke about thinking outside the box, I spoke about mentality for multiplication. As I was praying, I said so, so things will happen in Jesus’ name, and they all said amen, in Jesus’ name.
When I was done, I said shout Allah Akbar 21 times, and they were shouting Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar; over two thousand people, and they started falling under the anointing. Wisdom is a principal thing, get it and get understanding. And I was wearing my sutana. That is God for you. God does not have a colour.
So when they were falling under the anointing, the Imam had no choice but to say, ‘Genesis, if one is not careful, you can make someone become a Christian.’ I said I was not preaching religion. What is the meaning of Allah Akbar? God is good.
Eyo, a popular masquerade in Lagos, is one of those rare festivals that come with heightened eccentric displays. It is usually organised to honour the dead who is either an Oba, a community leader or a prominent individual who had done well to better the society. On December 27 last year, the festival was observed in honour of Mobolaji Johnson, Lateef Jakande and Habibat Mogagi, three deceased prominent Lagos indigenes of the state. EDOZIE UDEZE do writes on the symbolism of Eyo and its tourism potential.
When earlier in December last year the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced that the Eyo Masquerade Festival would take place on December 27, there was excitement everywhere. The excitement did not arise just because lovers of Eyo masquerade festival were in need of it; it came because the three deceased Lagosians that were to be honoured with the celebration were once among the most prominent personalities in the state, namely Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Major Gen. Mobolaji Johnson and Alhaja Habibat Mogaji.
The fact that the last Eyo masquerade festival observed in the state had happened about eight years earlier made many Lagosians eager to witness it. Little wonder most of the major streets on Lagos Island were caught in heightened frenzy with various levels of preparations and decorations to bid final farewell to these important citizens who died years ago.
There is no doubting the fact that Eyo masquerade celebration is one of those rare cultural festivals or what you may term culture tourism that make Lagos State unique.
Its uniqueness is not hinged only on its purity, colourful displays and arousing elegance, it is also because Eyo masquerade festival is a social and spiritual exercise purposely designed to cleanse the society and usher in renewed moments of peace, love and orderliness.
It is designed to honour ancestors and open doors of prosperity. That is why it is widely considered an iconic cultural event.
Eyo festival, otherwise called Adamu Orisa, therefore takes place only on special occasions. It is basically to honour a deceased oba or prominent Lagosians, custodians of tradition or political leaders who have done a lot to advance the fortunes of the society.
The one held on December 27, 2025, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Lagos, consequently came in to fill that yawning gap.
The mammoth crowd on the day was unprecedented. From Martins Street and Idumota all the way to Onikan, the Oba’s palace at Iga and through to TBS, people gathered to see the masquerades in dazzling beauty.
It was not just for the sake of the razzmatazz the festival ushered into Lagos streets, it was because there were more Eyo masquerades on parade than in the previous years.
As they walked in columns and regiments, and in order of seniority and importance, it was clear that the dexterity of the usual street carnival was in vogue. They sang, gyrated and danced as the long and aesthetically decorated sticks, symbols of Eyo, dazzled loosely in the air. The uniformity of it all became more alluring than ever before.
The presence of foreigners, including some Brazilians who travelled all the way from South America to witness and savour the glamour, aura and esoteric nature of Eyo further accentuated the atmosphere.
Nigerians in Diaspora who visited were in jolly good mood to witness the spectacle. Yomi, a Lagosian who flew in from England, regretted that he missed the previous edition. Hence when the current one was announced, he quickly made arrangements to fly into Nigeria. “It is the social content that makes most of us to long to see it,” he said as he hastened up to join the procession of people on the road to Tafawa Balewa Square on that day.
Like Yomi, Derin Cole, from Bankole Street, Olowogbowo, Lagos Island also affirmed the spirituality and purity of Eyo. However, in his own case, Cole is one of those who don the Eyo costume. He belongs to the Adimu Orisa group, the first in the order of procession, spotted mainly by very tall people.
Cole, on his own part, has participated in the festival almost all his life.
He said: “The Eyo is also known as Agogoro (the tall Eyo). Adimu is not just the senior, and that is where I belong, it is also a representative of the spirit of the dead, leading the procession to usher the dead home.
“This is why we wear white hat with black emblem, symbolising seniority, colour and valour.
“As long as I am alive, I will continue to carry the Eyo. In fact, there are people much older than me, some in their 70s, who still carry Eyo.
“It is a delightful festival. It gives us joy. As long as we can walk and display our dexterity, we will continue to participate. “Even the one for Mobolaji Johnson is like a carry-over. It was good we used the occasion to remind people about who he was and what he did for Lagos State.”
Cole was excited to see many Brazilians who had visited for the fun of it.
He said: “The number of Brazilians on that day was too high to behold.
“Yes for us all, the regalia are ours. It is our property. We buy and sew it. In fact, we have specialised tailors who do the designs.
“It is also true that it is very expensive to buy and sew the flowing white robe. The long gown is the symbol of purity, the spiritual world.
“It also serves as a spiritual rite to cleanse the city,” he said.
Order of procession
Inasmuch as the Eyo festival is a spiritual rite in which white-clad masquerades predominate, it is equally patterned to parade the streets in order of seniority and importance.
The masquerades take off by 7am at the Iga shrine where they pay obeisance to the spirits of the ancestors. In order of organised procedure, they then move to the Oba’s palace, dancing, chanting and chorusing deep Yoruba proverbs and incantations.
This elaborate display brings out each family or clan called ‘Iga’ to the open. Each carries a symbolic palm stick called ‘Opambata’. The stick is not only an authority of its own, it is a means to greet people on the way.
The first in the group is Adimu Orisa. It is traditionally the most senior Eyo, usually carried by very tall people. It is signified by a white hat with an elaborate black emblem. This is to show that it is first among equals and that Adimu is the foremost.
The second one is ‘Laba’. This one brings as its peculiar nature a red hat with white emblem. It is usually for the sake of clarification it is called the red Eyo.
Laba can also be regarded as the security arm of the group. They act as the police officers, maintaining the peace in due sequence.
The third is ‘Oniko’. It wears a sparkling yellow hat that is traditionally associated with raffia palm. Its symbolism is totally embedded in cultural anathema. Not to forget also that raffia is an economic tree that yields wealth to a people.
‘Ologede’, in green hat, is the fourth in the order of parade and procession. Graceful in green hat, it also depicts the banana tree and its leaves.
This, in other words, stands for continued growth of the society where peace and purity have already been ushered in.
‘Agere’ closes the rear as the fifth one with its unique purple hat.
The foregoing shows how those hats and colours relate to the people and what connects them with their ancestors. So while the procession goes on, chants rent the air. Ancestral songs and dances accompany the procession. This helps to make the parade or procession gregarious and attractive.
The greetings done through the potency of the sticks, says: “E sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die”. This means, do not fear anything. But have a taste of the palm tree.
It is said that the greeting in Yoruba is of deep Ijebu dialect. Eyo is said to have emanated from Iperu, in Ogun State. Yet Lagos State adapted it to the point of colourful celebration, making it one of the biggest culture tourism potential of the moment.
So, when an Eyo taps you with that symbolic palm stick, it shows love and peace. It shows it is time to bless you and to recognise you as a friend, brother and a source of blessing to others, to the city.
Prohibitions
It is usual to observe that Eyo is the symbol of Lagos’ heritage. It is equally a source of community pride built around some social and cultural abhorrence. In honour of those it is meant to celebrate and for the respect of the ancestral spirits and the purity thereof, no one is expected to wear shoes while coming close to Eyo. It is an abomination.
Since the festival connects the dead with the living, all laws, all ordinances to make it clean and pure have to be adhered to. So, within the arena, even as the parade goes on at the TBS, no one is expected to wear shoes, sandals or the like.
In addition, no one within the precincts of Eyo must wear any form of head tie, hats or caps. On that day, Eyo is the master, the only one authorised to wear a hat. Also people are prohibited from carrying umbrellas to the arena. Smoking is also not allowed, while no one is permitted to ride a motor bike (okada) or a bicycle near the esplanade. The height of abomination is trying to touch an Eyo. It is absolute sacrilege.
These set rules equally accentuate the aura built around Eyo over the years.
Cole explained: “It is the tradition, and people have come to obey it to give Eyo its revered place among the populace.
“In the first place, the masquerade itself does not wear shoes. And you cannot compare yourself with a masquerade; it is the spirit world.
“Where you obey all these, the period will usher in bumper sales and harvest for everyone”.
Historical fact
For the sake of historical clarification, Maj-Gen. Mobolaji Johnson was the first military governor of Lagos State. Alhaji Lateef Kayode, a journalist, was the first civilian governor of the state from 1979 to 1983, while Alhaja Habibat Mogaji, mother of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the Iyaloja of Lagos State.
A woman of many parts, she spent her time and money to empower and enrich market women in and around Lagos. So, the honour for the three was well deserved: a real time to reflect on their contributions and achievements.
A new dimension to Eyo
According to Dr. Olatunbosun Taofeek, a theatre artiste, playwright, scholar and chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Lagos State chapter, Eyo needs to be reinvented. It needs to move into a new chapter in its mode of celebration, recognition and value.
He said: “The Eyo Festival should be refashioned into intellectual tourism.
“Sometimes, a culture possesses grand traditions that can be transformed not merely into ceremonial events but into intellectual properties of global significance.
“One such tradition is the Adamu Orisa Play, popularly known as the Eyo Festival.
“A unique but neglected aspect of the Eyo Festival is its dramatic and theatrical component—the performative element of the masquerade intended to honour prominent individuals in society.
“Traditionally, Eyo celebrates those who have contributed meaningfully to Lagos. However, this aspect has not been fully developed.
“To revive it, Lagos should engage playwrights and scholars to write dramatic works based on the lives and legacies of notable Lagosians.
“These plays could be staged during the festival, and outstanding contributions could be recognised with honours such as the Eyo Medal, alongside sculptures and other forms of creative artistry.”
According to him, the core objective should not be the celebration of contemporary politicians but the preservation of collective memory —remembering who we are as Lagosians and understanding our historical roots as a people. He said the festival should serve as a platform for cultural reflection rather than political praise.
“Ideally, the Eyo Festival should be a period during which the histories of past Obas of Lagos and other outstanding contributors to the city are presented and examined. Such a practice would encourage responsible leadership, reminding present and future kings that positive legacies endure, while negative ones fade with time.
“For context, the Eyo Festival bears resemblance to the ancient Athenian festivals that gave rise to great dramatists such as Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. These festivals produced enduring literary works that preserved Greek culture and history.
“In contrast, the Eyo Festival has yet to generate comparable intellectual or artistic outputs. Instead, it has largely been reduced to political pageantry and praise-singing for current office holders.”
He said “one of the fundamental purposes of the Eyo Festival is to revive the memory of royalty and honour valiant men and women of the past.
“From Greek festivals of this nature emerged enduring narratives such as Oedipus the King, which remains one of the most significant texts in Greek cultural history.
“Unfortunately, in our own context, the festival has been reduced to costumes, caps, and symbolic movement with staffs.
“While these elements are important, they are insufficient on their own.”
He concluded by saying that we can do better. By reimagining the Eyo Festival through a modern, sophisticated literary and intellectual lens, Lagos can attract global attention and demonstrate that its culture is not merely ceremonial but one rich in intellectual depth, historical consciousness, and creative power.
The social media space in Nigeria last week took a breather from the political fireworks characteristic of some of the platforms, buzzing with tales of how hospitals designed to save lives have turned into graveyards with the negligence and avarice of some medical doctors. The sad narratives followed the death of Nkanu, a 21-month-old son of renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The unsavoury development was compounded by a disturbing report on how a mother of five died in Kano after a surgery in which a surgeon forgot scissors in her body. There are concerns that these ugly developments could spike medical tourism abroad and skyrocket demands for foreign exchange, INNOCENT DURU reports.
• Tragic tales of doctors’ negligence turning hospitals into morgues
• Fashion entrepreneur Toyin Lawani narrates ordeal at hospital where Chimamanda’s son died
• ‘How doctors made wrong diagnosis, forced us to have surgeries’
The world stood still for Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie last week. Not for her literary ingenuity but the loss of her son, which many believe will remain indelible in her heart. Sadly, Chimamanda expressed doubts over her ability to survive the unfortunate incident.
In a message chronicling how her son died, the Anambra born author said she had come to Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu had “what we first thought was just a cold but soon turned into a very serious infection, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital.”
According to her, Nkanu was to travel to the US the next day (January 7), accompanied by travelling doctors.
She said: “A team at John Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer iv medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight.
“Atlantis Hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done.”
In the morning of the 6th, she said, “we left Atlantis Hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms.
“We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.
“I was waiting just outside the theater. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theater, and immediately knew something had happened.”
She said a short time later, a medical official she referred to as Dr M came out and “told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated.
“But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator. He was intubated and placed in the ICU.
“The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest.
“All these had never happened before.
“Some hours later, Nkanu was gone
“It turns out that Nkanu was NEVER monitored after being given too much propofol.
“The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theater, so nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.
“How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?, she asked rhetorically, adding
“Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!
“The anesthesiologist was criminalky negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child.
“No proper protocol was followed.”
In a tone laced with palpable emotions,Chimamanda said: “We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever.
“It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child.
“We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working?
Nkanu’s death stirred a lot of reactions and counter reactions from the bereaved, the hospital, medical profession, legal practitioners and disturbed members of the society.
Following Chimamanda’s loss, celebrity fashion entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani has also revealed that her medical ordeal began with a spine surgery implant at the Euracare Hospital. In an Instagram post, Lawani recounted severe medical negligence that left her with long-term, life-altering health complications.
She said: “Every time I say that if you have health issues in Nigeria and you make it out alive, just thank your stars, people feel the comment is meant to berate Nigerian hospitals.
“I saw one foolish person saying trash about me last week, all because I was speaking from experience. I just ignored it. You spend close to ₦100 million on hospital bills and they still mismanage your health.
“They thought I was joking when I said I was going to sue, but I said they should just wait until I am stronger.
“Most of these hospitals just put on a front with white staff, and the aftercare is terrible. I am still suffering the consequences of Euracare right now.
“One issue takes you there, and another issue sends you home.
“I kept asking myself why I did my spine surgery implant in Nigeria. Till today, I still cannot speak well or walk well. I had complications and started bleeding in my lungs.
“I had to be taken back into the theatre the next day to be re-operated on.”
Describing a night when her heart “ceased” after being given injections, requiring urgent intervention, she said that despite undergoing three back-to-back surgeries at Euracare, her condition deteriorated, with severe lung infections and breathing difficulties.
She said the situation became so dire that she was airlifted to the United Kingdom for emergency care. UK doctors, she said, discovered a significant lung infection and performed another surgery immediately.
“Before I knew it, I stopped breathing. They had to puncture my lungs, and they damaged my vocal cords,” she said.
“I remember a night when I was given two injections and my heart seized. I could not breathe. @Prettydammy2 and @Segun_Wealth witnessed it; her husband had to threaten them.
“The trauma I faced in that hospital for months is something I still cannot get over till date. I am still in and out of the hospital till now because of this.
“They do not even care if there is mismanagement; you will still pay. I lost the use of my two legs after I was sent home and ended up back in that hospital again.
“I had to call the ENT doctor in the UK. He then told them to operate for the third time to remove the tracheotomy tube from my lungs and see if I could breathe on my own without it.
“After that surgery, I was on the next flight to the UK with my family the following day.
“When I got here. The doctors told me I had to undergo another surgery and said I had an infection in my lungs.
“When they showed me the large lumps they removed afterward, I was in shock.
“After three back-to-back surgeries in the same hospital, I still had to undergo another one when I got to the UK. It is just so shameful.
“This statement is not said enough: if you have health issues in Nigeria and you have the money, run.”
In another post, she said: “Part 2 of what my eyes saw at Euracare. I spent two months there in total and another month in a rehabilitation centre because I lost the use of my hands and legs.
“I also developed bedsores. I had to relearn how to walk, speak, and bathe myself. I am still undergoing speech therapy till today.”
She added: “When I tell people I am dealing with trauma, they do not understand me at all.
“This traumatic experience completely changed my entire life—how I see things and even people.
“I appreciate life more now and tend to let go of so many things, because your life can change in a second.
“Nigeria’s healthcare system needs regulation. Anybody from abroad can come with money, open a hospital in Nigeria as a business, and do as they wish.
“They use international standards to lure clients.
“I have proof that I came out of surgery without a hole in my lungs, and if Segun_Wealth had not raised the alarm about my swollen neck, they still would not have noticed.
“It was after that I realised I was having difficulty breathing. Till today, I still need a walking stick to support myself.
“The story of that hospital is long. I first had to save my life.
“I promised them that when I am well and sound, they will hear from me.
“Seeing @chimamanda_adichie’s story today triggered me to speak up so that many people can be saved.
“When I said almost ₦100 million, I was not joking. I still have my receipts from Euracare.
“Euracare is like a business center. Most of the doctors there are not even permanent staff; they come to perform surgeries and then leave.”
Meanwhile, Euracare has not been pronounced guilty by any court or committee since the allegations were made. The hospital has commiserated with the bereaved family and also absolved its officials of negligence in carrying out their duties.
The hospital had also yet to react to allegations made by Toyin Lawani.
Chimamanda Adichie serves hospital legal notice over son’s death
Smarting from the pain caused by the irreparable loss, Chimamanda served a formal legal notice on Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, alleging medical negligence and professional impropriety in connection with the death of her son.
The development came asovernor State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ordered an official probe into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, following widespread public concern over the incident.
While the management of the hospital made frantic efforts to deny any complicity in the death of the boy, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Head of Medical Malpractice, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), said the ordeal faced by Chimamanda and her family represents only a tip of a much larger crisis of medical negligence affecting countless Nigerian families.
The brickbats had yet to settle when the news broke of a mother of five who died from complications arising from a doctor leaving a pair of scissors in her body after surgery.
The fresh incident rubbished whatever defence people were trying to make for medical practice in the country and raised questions about the training of doctors, expertise of the practitioners and quality of equipment used.
The incidents evoked sad memories, forcing people both online and offline to recount death and near-death experiences at the hands of medical practitioners in the country, especially the private hospitals which they accused of putting money above the lives of patients.
Woman dies after surgery
Less than one week after the demise of Chimamanda’s son, came the news of one Aishatu Umar, who died four months after surgeons left a pair of scissors inside her stomach during a surgical procedure at the Abubakar Imam Urology Center, a government-owned health facility in Kano State.
The mother of five passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2026 during a corrective surgery to remove the scissors.
A relative of the deceased, Abubakar Mohammed, said Aishatu died after enduring months of severe abdominal pain following a surgical procedure carried out at the hospital about four months ago.
According to Mohammed, the surgery was performed in September, after which Aishatu reportedly began experiencing persistent and worsening abdominal pain.
He alleged that despite repeated visits to the hospital, she was only given pain-relief medication without further investigations.
He explained that medical tests and scans were eventually conducted just days ago, revealing that a pair of scissors had allegedly been left inside her body during the initial surgery.
“She underwent surgery at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre in September. After that, she complained of severe abdominal pain for months.
“Each time she returned to the hospital, she was given painkillers,” Mohammed said.
“It was only two days ago that scans were carried out, and that was when doctors discovered that scissors had been forgotten inside her body.
“Plans were made for another surgery, but she passed away before it could be done,” he added.
Mohammed described the incident as a clear case of negligence and called on the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure justice for the deceased.
“How can medical professionals forget a pair of scissors inside a patient’s body?
“This is unacceptable and damages the integrity of the health sector,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the Kano State Hospitals Management Board said it had ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the allegation to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding Aishatu’s death.
The Kano State Hospitals Management Board has, however, confirmed that the death of Aishatu Umar, a mother of five, was linked to medical negligence at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, a government-owned health facility in Kano.
In a statement, the Board’s Public Relations Officer, Samira Suleiman, said a preliminary investigation ordered by the Executive Secretary, Dr Mansur Mudi Nagoda, revealed that surgical scissors were inadvertently left inside the patient’s body following a surgical procedure.
Following the findings, the Board announced the immediate suspension of three medical personnel directly involved in the case from clinical duties.
Prior to the above incidents, we had reported about how a young pregnant mother died in a controversial situation undergoing surgical operations to give birth to her first child.
The report revealed how the hospital where the deceased, Anita Nathaniel was admitted insisted she must give birth through CS in spite of a scan showing all was well with her showing the ability to deliver naturally. Nathaniel, Anita’s husband also refused, stressing that he and his wife wanted her to have a normal vaginal delivery.
After much pressure, the husband caved in, and paid N150,000 of a N300,000 surgical bill.
“After making the payment, I was assured that the surgeon would join them shortly. But my wife had to wait for well over eight hours before the surgeon arrived,” said Nathaniel.
The caesarean section (CS) was eventually done and Anita was gone afterwards.
Medical experts argued that the anaesthesia failed to maintain the necessary depth of unconsciousness, thus causing Anita to wake and feel intense pain as the surgeon cut into her abdomen and manipulated her internal organs.
Her body’s natural response to such extreme pain, argued a consultant clinical anesthesiologist, Olumide Francis, was to “activate the fight or flight mechanism, increasing her heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels.
“However, in a patient weakened by childbirth, this physiological response can be dangerous.”
Netizens relive ordeal with doctors
The death of Chimamanda’s son triggered chains of reactions on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter) as netizens took turns to relive their ordeal at the hands of hospitals and doctors who made wrong prescriptions and insisted on surgeries that were at the end of the day found to be needless.
Narrating his experience, Dr Joe Abbah said: “A private hospital in Abuja said I needed surgery and was trying to pressure me to do it with them immediately.
“I wasn’t sure and my family wasn’t comfortable. My Madam reminded me that in the UK, there is a mandatory cooling off period of 14 days between when you are told that you need surgery and when you actually have it, unless it’s a life-threatening emergency.
“The cooling off period enables you to decide whether you want to go ahead with it or not.
“The surgeon asked me whether I was afraid of him and I said no, it’s the anaesthetist I am afraid of. He asked why and I said that I had heard too many stories.
“To the obvious disappointment of his clinic manager who had already started to process HMO approvals, I decided to get other opinions.
“Getting a second opinion elsewhere and a third opinion abroad, it turned out that I didn’t need any surgery at all.”
Reacting to Abbah’s post, Ijeoma Ekenechukwu @MappingReveals, said: “Hmm! I hope it is not the same doctor we have used. Had similar experience in Abuja, got a second opinion in Lagos and they say nothing.
“The Abuja kept pressuring me with text and emails to operate, and this was linked to a job role. I kept giving excuses to delay him, travelled to UK, had another opinion and nothing again for surgery.
“Thinking back, this is how they would have operated for nothing.”
Also recounting a friend’s experience, Stress Manager @eakpe said: “One hospital in Abuja told a friend that he needed to undergo heart surgery and was pressuring him to do it immediately or it could be too late.
“He wasn’t comfortable with the whole thing, so he decided to see his doctor in the UK, only to be told that he had an ulcer and that the chest pain he was feeling was from acid reflux.
“He returned to the hospital in anger and showed them his diagnosis from the UK, and they began to beg him.
“I have said this several times that most private hospitals are more concerned with profit than with the welfare of the patient.”
On his part, Musa Jidda said: “Sometime in 2011, one woman battled a mysterious illness for months. Local hospital here in Nigeria prescribed meds that only made it worse.
She flew to Egypt for a second opinion. The doctor shocked her: “it’s just a reaction to the drugs you’ve been taking.” He simply told her to STOP everything.
In just one week, she began recovering. Today? She’s completely healed!
The crue1est sc@m in Nigerian healthcare: Some private hospitals know a patient is dying… yet they invent rare diseases you’ve never heard of, push expensive, useless drugs, and even force needless surgeries, all to milk every last kobo from grieving families.”
Also sharing a friend’s experience, Jerry P @Markusjerryp, said: “This happened to a friend of mine. He was diagnosed with a kidney-related issue and he called me for help. I went to the hospital that night.
“The doctor insisted on an MRI scan, which I paid for at about ₦155,000, and prescribed antibiotics costing ₦93,000, which I also paid for.
“After reviewing the MRI results, the doctor insisted that my friend needed surgery within 24 hours, at a cost of ₦3.5 million.
“At that point, common sense kicked in. I forwarded the MRI results to three doctors, two consultants in Nigeria and one in the United States. All of them reviewed the report and said it showed only minor kidney stones.
“They advised that he should drink plenty of water. They also said the antibiotics prescribed were unnecessarily strong and recommended stopping them and using a much cheaper alternative.
“I advised my friend to leave the hospital and focus on drinking plenty of water as advised. Two years later, he is perfectly fine.”
A netizen who goes by the name The Adeyemi @DrYemiOvGynea said: “Truth is a lot of unnecessary surgeries happen in private hospitals in Nigeria. Doing surgeries pay more and that’s how they get money to stay afloat.
“These even happen in the posh ones. There have been reports of people still having their appendices intact then they have in fact had appendicectomies done in private hospitals. These things go unchecked.
“Regarding the UK you mentioned, you wouldn’t even have the surgery done in weeks or months so far it is elective, giving you opportunity to re-consider your options.
“Most cases in medicine have got more than one options if not emergencies.”
Nigerians, according to a report by Nairametrics, spend between $1.6 billion and $2 billion each year on medical treatment abroad, putting pressure on the economy and exposing gaps in the local health system, according to data from healthcare investment agencies.
For decades, the report said, the search for medical treatment abroad placed a heavy burden on Nigeria’s economy and exposed long-standing weaknesses in its local healthcare infrastructure.
The disturbing ordeal of the citizens, which are clear loss of trust in the country’s healthcare, could worsen the quest for medical treatment abroad and consequently pile more pressure on the economy.
Chimamanda’s lawyers file suit against hospital
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, and issued by a law firm led by Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, accused the hospital, its anaesthesiologist, and other attending medical personnel of breaching the duty of care owed to their son, who died in the early hours of January 7, 2026.
According to the notice, the child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred to Euracare on January 6, 2026, from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an emergency medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist medical team was reportedly on standby.
The procedures carried out at Euracare reportedly included an echocardiogram, brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) and a lumbar puncture, during which intravenous sedation using propofol was administered.
The parents alleged that the child developed sudden and severe complications while being transported to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after the MRI.
The notice claimed that despite being under sedation, the child was moved between clinical areas under conditions that raised serious concerns about compliance with patient safety and paediatric anaesthesia protocols.
The legal notice outlined several alleged lapses, including concerns about the cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring, and transfer without supplemental oxygen, adequate monitoring, or sufficient accompanying medical personnel.
Further allegations included the unavailability of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular distress, and failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer, and safety standards.
The parents also accused the hospital of failing to adequately disclose the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anaesthetic agents, thereby undermining the requirement for informed consent.
The solicitors stated that these alleged lapses constitute prima facie breaches of duty of care, rendering the hospital and involved medical personnel liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s death.
As part of their demands, the parents requested certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days. These include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.
They also demanded internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and all documentation related to the child’s care. Euracare was formally instructed to preserve all physical and electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and morbidity and mortality reviews.
The solicitors warned that any destruction or alteration of evidence after receipt of the notice would be treated as obstruction of justice and could attract legal consequences.
They further stated that failure to comply with the demands would leave the parents with no option but to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies.
The child’s aunt, Dr. Anthea Esege Nwandu, a dual board-certified internal medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, has challenged Euracare’s public statement on January 10, 2026.
In a rebuttal, Nwandu questioned the hospital’s claim that there were inaccuracies in the family’s account of events and alleged that the hospital’s statement contained significant falsehoods.
She disputed Euracare’s assertion that the child had received care at two paediatric centres prior to admission, stating that he was treated at only one hospital before being referred to Euracare for the procedures.
Nwandu further alleged that internationally accepted medical standards were not followed, insisting that a sedated child on oxygen requires continuous oxygen therapy and monitoring of oxygen saturation, pulse, and respiration.
She also claimed that proper resuscitation equipment, such as an ambu bag, was not provided during the child’s transfer within the hospital.
Hospital condoles with family, denies negligence allegations
Euracare Multispecialist Hospital has commiserated with Chimamanda and her family describing the loss as profound and heartbreaking.
In a statement issued by its management, the hospital conveyed its heartfelt condolences to the parents and extended family, noting that the death of a child is an unimaginable tragedy that goes beyond words.
While empathising with the family’s grief, the hospital also addressed what it described as inaccuracies in some reports circulating about the circumstances surrounding the child’s care. Euracare emphasised that it is a reputable medical facility specialising in complex care and staffed by an internationally trained and experienced clinical team.
The statement reads: “We extend our deepest sympathies to Chimamanda Adichie and family on the demise of their son and acknowledge the profound and unimaginable loss they are experiencing during this deeply distressing time. The loss of a child is beyond words, and we offer our most heartfelt condolences to his parents and the entire family.
“We find it necessary, for the record, to clarify that some of the reports currently being circulated contain inaccuracies.
“Our facility is a reputable centre for complex medical care, led by an internationally trained and experienced clinical team.
“The patient, who was critically ill, was referred to our facility for specific diagnostic procedures after receiving treatment for a period of time at two paediatric centres.
“Upon arrival, our medical team immediately provided care in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards, including the administration of sedation where clinically indicated.
“In the course of his care, we worked collaboratively with external medical teams as recommended by his family and ensured that all necessary clinical support was provided.
“Despite these concerted efforts, the patient sadly passed away less than 24 hours after presenting at our facility.
“We have commenced a detailed investigation consistent with our clinical governance standards and best practices.
“We remain committed to engaging transparently and responsibly with all clinical and regulatory processes.
“We recognise that the family is grieving an irreplaceable loss and we shall continue to support them in any way that may bring comfort during this devastating period.
“As medical professionals, we carry the weight of this loss deeply. Our priority remains compassion, patient safety, and the responsible handling of this matter, while respecting the family’s privacy and allowing due process to take its course.
“We continue to hold the family in our thoughts and prayers.”
Agbakoba calls for comprehensive overhaul of health sector
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Head of Medical Malpractice, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has said the ordeal faced by the family of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie represents only the tip of a much larger crisis of medical negligence affecting countless Nigerian families.
In a statement calling for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare system, Agbakoba said the sector has become dangerously overcentralised under the Federal Ministry of Health, leaving states lax in oversight and regulation.
According to him, the recent tragic loss of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, has once again drawn national attention to the deep-rooted problems in the country’s health system.
“As my professional focus over the past 20 years has been medical malpractice, during which I have handled over 50 cases, this unfortunate incident is yet another example of the unacceptable level of incompetence in some Nigerian hospitals,” he said.
Agbakoba noted that he was not surprised that a routine procedure at a well-regarded hospital reportedly ended in tragedy.
“Propofol, which was reportedly administered to Nkanu, requires exceptional care because of its potential to cause cardio-respiratory failure.
“An overdose can be fatal, and there appears to be a strong possibility of overdose in this case,” he stated.
He commended the Lagos State Government for its swift move to investigate the incident and Euracare for agreeing to cooperate with investigators, but stressed that the probe must be genuinely independent and transparent.
Sharing personal experiences, Agbakoba disclosed that he was once misdiagnosed with a condition that could have had serious consequences, while his brother nearly lost his life following an operation performed by a doctor who falsely presented himself as a surgeon.
According to him, the root cause of these recurring tragedies lies in the collapse of Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework for healthcare delivery.
“In the past, the health system operated under a strong supervisory structure. Chief Medical Officers and Health Inspectors oversaw critical care, ensured compliance with standards and held practitioners accountable.
“The last Chief Medical Officer of Nigeria was Dr. Samuel Layinka Manuwa,” he said.
…recovers SUV highlander, motorcycle from cult leaders
Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have foiled an alleged cult initiation ceremony at Uso community in Owo Local Government Area of the state, arresting 25 suspected members of a proscribed cult group.
The suspects were alleged to be members of the outlawed Black Axe confraternity, also known as the Neo Black Movement (NBM), while their arrest followed credible intelligence received by the police from concerned citizens.
According to the police, the suspects reportedly travelled from Lagos, Osun, and Edo states to Ondo State to participate in the initiation of new members into the cult group before they were caught and apprehended.
Their arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, and made available to journalists in Akure, the state capital.
“Acting swiftly on the information, operatives of the Command were mobilised and deployed using intelligence-led tactics to disrupt the planned initiation.
“The operation resulted in the arrest of twenty-five (25) suspects, drawn from Ondo State, Osun State, Lagos State, and Edo State, at the scene of the initiation,” Abayomi said.
He disclosed that one Toyota Highlander SUV and one unregistered Daylong motorcycle were recovered during the operation, adding that the suspects are currently in police custody.
Abayomi further revealed that the suspects have allegedly confessed to their involvement in cult-related activities and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Adebowale Lawal, lauded his men for their swift response, professionalism and dedication, stressing that the command would not relent in its fight against cultism across the state.
Lawal also expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his strategic leadership and continued support, which he said had strengthened the command’s anti-cultism operations.
The Ondo police boss, however, advised youths to shun cultism and other criminal activities, warning that such acts only lead to grave consequences.
He reassured residents of the command’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in the state and urged the public to continue providing credible information to aid crime prevention.
How fleeing terrorists turned Niger market to slaughter slab
Survivors recount 10-hour ordeal at the hands of bandits
‘They tied men’s hands and slaughtered them like rams’
It was meant to be a day of commerce and camaraderie. Kasuwan Daji, a dusty but spirited trading hub nestled in the hinterlands of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, was buzzing.
Farmers, cattle herders, and grain merchants from neighboring villages like Sukumbara, Papiri, and Demo had gathered for business. The air was thick with the smell of raw yam, sheep, and the haggling voices of the Kambari people.
And all seemed to be going well.Indeed for some of the traders, business was coming to a close for the day.
But at exactly 4:30 pm on Saturday, January 3, the bustling noise of traders and buyers unexpectedly gave way to a sharp instantaneous rise in gunshots.
All hell was let loose.
By the time the sun set on Kasuwan Daji, the market lay in ruins, charred remains of stalls smoldering into the night sky. But more terrifying than the burnt wood was the human cost: over 50 men and children lay dead, their lives snuffed out in a manner so gruesome the state is yet to recover from the manner of the attack and the losses.
Market of death
Eyewitnesses paint a picture of calculated cruelty. According to locals, the terrorists, riding in pairs on motorcycles, did not just shoot indiscriminately, they encircled the market, cutting off escape routes for their targets.
“They came when we were exchanging pleasantries,” said a survivor who declined to give his name.
“The market scattered. People ran for their lives, but the bandits had already surrounded the section where yams and grains were sold.”
Another trader, a yam seller who gave his name as Musa Ibrahim from Sukumbara village, recalled the moment terror descended.
“We were just finishing a deal. I had sold three sacks of yams to a buyer from Papiri when we heard the motorcycles roaring like angry beasts. They came from all sides, more than 50 of them, armed with rifles and machetes. Bullets flew everywhere. People screamed and ran, but they had us surrounded.”
What followed was a scene reminiscent of a medieval execution. The terrorists, identified by locals as fleeing elements from the North West, rounded up the trapped men.
“They tied their hands, some to the front, some to the back and they slit their necks,” one trader said, his voice shaky as he spoke to our reporter on phone. “These were men who sold yams. Men who sold sheep. They killed them like animals.”
The Niger State Police Command put the casualty figure at 30.
Locals and community leaders disputed the figure and said between 42 and 60 people must have been killed during the attack.
The victims included Christians and Muslims, uniting the community in a grief that transcends religious lines.
‘Migration’ of Terror
The rampage didn’t stop at the market. The assailants fanned out to surrounding houses, ransacking homes and setting fire to sheds and grain stores.
Five members of a family, including children, were dragged from the hiding and slaughtered. Others who fled into the bush were pursued, captured, and brought back to face the same fate.
By nightfall, the market, a vital hub for communities in Borgu and Agwarra LGAs was a smoldering ruin, its smoke visible for kilometers.
A yet to be confirmed number of women and children were abducted, adding to the anguish of families already scarred by recent kidnappings.
Security sources and local intelligence suggest that the carnage in Borgu is a fallout of the recent U.S. air strike on terrorist hideouts in Sokoto State that wiped out many terrorists and dislodged others.The fleeing terrorists are blamed for the Kasuwan Daji carnage and are believed to be moving south, seeking refuge in the ungoverned forest belts of Niger and Kwara States.
The attackers reportedly emerged from the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), a vast reserve that has increasingly become a sanctuary for bandits.
“They are not just attacking; they are migrating and clearing anything in their path,” a security source said.
The timeline of their movement confirms this. Reports indicate that before hitting Kasuwan Daji, the group had wreaked havoc in Shanga LGA in Kebbi State. They crossed through the Kanu Hills, passing Shafaci and Bako-Mission. On New Year’s Day, they brazenly burned documents at a police outpost in Shafaci before camping in the bush.
Borgu Local Government area is nestled in the western part of Niger State, bordering Benin Republic and has long been a mosaic of cultures and landscapes.
Home to the Kambari, Busa, and other ethnic groups, it is famed for Kainji National Park, Africa’s second-largest wildlife reserve, spanning 5,340 square kilometers with elephants, lions, and the Kainji Lake formed by Nigeria’s first hydroelectric dam. But this natural haven has become a double-edged sword. Vast ungoverned forests provide perfect cover for bandits, who use the park as a base for raids.
Security experts link the surge in attacks to the Nigerian bandit conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives since 2011, fueled by herder-farmer clashes, illegal mining, and jihadist influences.
This wasn’t an isolated incident but the culmination of a week-long terror spree. The Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Rev. Father Matthew Kabirat, confirmed that the terrorists had targeted the church in Sokonbora.
He said the bandits had roamed freely since December 28, 2025.
“They emerged from their hideouts in Kainji Lake National Park, passing through villages like Sokonbora and Shafaci. They burned documents at a police outpost, destroyed a crucifix and musical instruments in our church compound, and stole motorcycles and cash worth over N200,000. Our parish priest narrowly escaped abduction,” he said.
“The priests and parishioners have now fled the area. As I speak to you, our priests are leaving. There is no security presence. The people are alone.”
In Kaiwa village across the border in Kebbi State, five were killed; in Gebe, two more. The attackers even left a phone number with villagers, a chilling taunt to local leaders
Another source added that the terrorists spent nearly 24 hours in a nearby Kambari compound, feasting on stolen livestock before launching the Saturday attack on the market.
‘We sleep in the bush’
Fear has now emptied the villages of Agwarra and Borgu. From Kwana to Tugan Salama, residents have abandoned their homes.
“There is no single large town where people can run to for safety,” a distraught villager said. “We move into the bush at night. Even the school children from St. Mary’s, who were only recently released from captivity, are back in the bush hiding with their parents. They are traumatized,” a source said.
The psychological toll is immense. A community that once thrived on the banks of the River Niger is now a ghost town.
“Some individuals will have the mind to ask the government to grant these evil people amnesty,” a resident lamented.
“Demonic set of people.”
Official Reactions: Fury and Promises
The savagery of the attack has drawn the ire of government.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ordered an immediate manhunt.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country. They must be hunted down,” the President declared, directing the Service Chiefs and the DSS to apprehend the perpetrators.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, expressed deep sadness. He described the attack as “cruel and nefarious,” but assured the people that a joint security team is already on the trail of the criminals.
However, for the people of Borgu, statements are no longer enough.
“We hear the government, but we do not see them,” said a local leader. “The police only came to pick up bodies. The attack lasted 10 hours without resistance. We need a military task force permanently stationed here, or we will all die.”
A brewing humanitarian crisis
With hundreds displaced and livelihoods destroyed, Borgu and Agwara faces a looming humanitarian crisis.
The Niger Christian Youth Forum has called for urgent action, asking the government to prioritize the rescue of abducted women and children. But for now, the people of Borgu look towards the Kainji forests with dread of the monsters lurking within.
As fear grips Agwarra and Borgu with villagers evacuating to bushes and priests relocating the question lingers: How many more massacres before the ungoverned spaces are reclaimed?
In Kasuwan Daji, the market’s ashes serve as a grim reminder that without urgent action on manpower shortages and surveillance, the region risks becoming a perpetual zone of terror. For now, the people mourn, united in grief, praying for a dawn free from the shadow of violence. The question on every lip in Niger State remains: When will the slaughter end?
Logistics is not an expense, it’s an investment – Michael Allosso
By Olayinka Oyegbile
As a journalist and reporter, I have travelled widely around the world and a few times in Asia. I have been to Thailand (2007) India twice (2009 and 2019). So, when I arrived in Taipei, Taiwan in the early morning of June 30, 2025, to begin a four-month long research Fellowship at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), it was my fourth visit to Asia, but the first to Taiwan. After clearing the Customs and Immigration I stepped out into the Arrival Hall of the expansive Taoyuan airport. I breathed a sigh of relief from the long journey from Lagos to Istanbul (Turkey) and finally to Taipei (Taiwan).
While waiting to link up with my contact, I took those few minutes to savour the beauty and efficiency of the expansive facility. It reminded me of the Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris and Schiphol, Amsterdam. The clockwork efficiency blew my mind. I was captivated by the architectural beauty of the airport.
When my chaperone arrived, we wheeled my bags toward the exit gate where I bought a travel card. It is a smart green card with the word ‘TPASS’ emblazoned across. With this ‘magic card’, I could board the train, bus and rent a bicycle! It was my ‘passport’ to commute around the city of Taipei and beyond for as long and as many times I want. I looked at the little card with a form of incredulity!
The first test for the card came as I was to board the underground train, which is called Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). My chaperon led the way dragging. On approaching the exit point, he tapped his card and behold the little gate opened. He exited and waited for me to do the same. I was awed. I was like Alice in Wonderland. Of course, I used the wrong end of the card and the little gate refused to open! He came to my rescue and presto the gate was flung open. I had learnt my first lesson in technology.
We made our way to the train station outside the airport. We met a little crowd of people waiting. In a few seconds it started snaking out of the airport vicinities. We were unable to secure seats. The coaches were filled to the brim. I wasn’t bothered because by standing I was able to soak up the beauty of the environment. After sometime, the train left the underground and we were up there towering above hills, mountains and skyscrapers and beautiful greenery. I began to fantasize and salute the ingenuity of man to tame nature and subject it to his whims as commanded in the Holy Scriptures.
After a long ride we disembarked to board another train travelling in another direction. Before this, we climbed in and out of many escalators and I lost count and was wondering how my chaperon could figure out his way from one end of the station to another. The surprise for me was how the transport systems have been so integrated: Board the train, buses or ride a bicycle with the same smartcard! The transport system would take you there with little or no stress.
My first few weeks were the most challenging. I had to figure out how to board the MRT or buses to move around Taipei City. It was either I missed the bus stop in which to disembark or missed my way totally. Language was sometimes a barrier to asking for directions. However, Taiwan taught me a new lesson that my phone was more than a receiver and sender of calls and text messages. It has more capacities. Anytime I am stranded and needed to communicate, I fish out my phone and turn to Google Translate; type out what I need and show to the next person the translation in Mandarin. Pronto, I get directions to where I am going.
One day I missed my way completely. I boarded a bus going in an opposite direction to my desired destination. At the point that I realized I was travelling in the wrong direction, I was the only passenger left in the long bus with the driver. Perhaps as a matter of rule, drivers don’t talk while driving – I guess this was to allow them concentrate on their job, besides the driver does not speak English and I don’t speak Mandarin! At the next stop a lady boarded the bus. I approached her and asked, “Please, do you speak English?” Coyishly, she smiled and retorted, “A little.” I breathed a sigh of relief. I told her where I was going. She confirmed that I was on a wrong bus! I was alarmed.
Graciously, she disembarked with me at the next bus stop, fished out a piece of paper from her bag and wrote my destination out in Mandarin. When the next bus heading in my direction arrived, she showed the piece of paper to the driver and handed me over to him. She told me in halting English that the driver would let me know when I get to my destination. I sat behind the driver with my heart thumping. She crossed to the other side of the road to continue her journey.
I had learnt another lesson. The bus travelled for so long that I sometimes wondered if the driver had forgotten I was still in the bus. After some time, I started noticing some familiar landmarks and I knew I was nearing my bus stop. Then the driver spoke in Mandarin. I needed no soothsayer to tell me that he was talking to me. I stood up and walked toward the driving cabin. When he stopped, I showed him the piece of paper in my hand. He nodded to acknowledge I was at my destination. Then I saw the name of the bus stop in both Chinese and English. I tapped my T-Pass and disembarked.
According to records, the MRT ferries over 1.9 million commuters on a daily basis in Taipei alone. A report by Taipei Times, the biggest English circulating newspaper in the country, says over 2.5 million people live in Taipei. Think of the chaos that has been avoided by transporting these millions underground! The construction of the metro began in December 1988 and began operation in March 1996!
(To be continued)
•Dr Oyegbile, journalist and media scholar just concluded a postdoctoral fellowship at Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).
The decisive action of Governor Monday Okpebholo against kidnappers in Edo State, it seems, has not deterred their activities in the Heartbeat State, as cases persist in more brutal manner. Osagie Otabor in Benin, reports.
It was a sad New Year for Mr. Tahir Momoh. His son, Ibrahim, has been in the kidnappers’ den since January 2nd, 2026. Ibrahim is a medical doctor currently on his housemanship at the Edo State Teaching Hospital, Auchi, headquarters of Estako West local government area.
Ibrahim was abducted alongside his brother, Abu, a graduate of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, at their residence along City Pride Road, Igbira Camp, Auchi, Edo North. Abu was killed by the kidnappers while allegedly attempting to escape. He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.
It was learnt that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N200m but later reduced it to N100m. Tahir Momoh, who spoke to our reporter on Thursday, said his son, Ibrahim, was yet to be released. He said the kidnappers were still insisting on the N100m ransom.
Last month, a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Aifedighi, was abducted from their residence at Ujemen, Ekpoma, headquarters of Esan West local government area. The kidnappers demanded N100m ransom which the family could not raise. Report says the wife was beaten to death while the husband was rescued few days later.
Son of the victims, Mike, said the family was shocked the manner their mother was beaten to death. He said his father had been hospitalised since he was rescued.
“My mother was badly beaten. They battered her head. My father has been in the hospital since he came home. Two suspects have been arrested.”
In August last year, eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attached to the BUA Cement Factory in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area, were killed by kidnappers.
The slain NSCDC official were escorting five Chinese expatriates when the kidnappers ambushed them at the company’s entrance.
One Chinese expatriate was abducted by the kidnappers.
On December 11, last year, kidnappers stormed the residence of Andrew Ilabeshi at Kalabar Quarters, Afokpella, Estako East local government area. They killed the man and abducted his twins aged 16. The twins were released on December 26th after payment of N10m.
These are among several other kidnapping cases that have plagued across Edo State in recent months. Last week, students of the Ambrose Ali University, AAU, joined youths in Ekpoma to stage a peaceful protest over incessant kidnappings in the area. The protesters said the demonstration was to draw attention of the government at all levels to the persistent insecurity in the locality.
Spokesman for AAU, Mike Aladenika, has however insisted that the students of the institution did not participate in the protest.
“The University wishes to inform the general public, students, staff, and stakeholders that the organisers of this event are not registered students, members of the University Students’ Union Government, or affiliated with the institution in any capacity.
“The Management condemns any attempts to disrupt the peaceful academic environment and assures that such unauthorised actions will be met with appropriate measures to safeguard the university’s interests and maintain order.”
In Auchi, the Igbira camp area and Igbeh road are said to be notorious for kidnapping activities. What is worrisome to many residents is the presence of military checkpoints at the Igbira camp. Residents in Auchi said contributions were made every Jattu market day for payment of ransom.
“The energy our Governor used to fight cultism is not being used to fight kidnappers. People are selling their houses to pay ransom. Every Jattu market day, they collect money from people to pay ransom. At Igbeh road, you see people begging for money to pay ransom.
“Our Vigilante are not being paid. They cannot go to the bush to face kidnappers with AK47 rifle.”
A Chief in Auchi kingdom, Chief Duru Yusuf, said payment of ransom by residents was inevitable.
“We are doing our best as a community even though the government says it is doing its best. We are the people feeling the heat. People are contributing money to pay ransom. We don’t encourage payment of ransom but sometimes it becomes inevitable.
“The vigilante are not are not being paid. They are volunteers. They can only do their best. There are two checkpoints before the Army barracks near the Igbira camp. They have not stopped anything. Government should step up its responsibility so that we can do our business in peace.”
Another Auchi community leader who gave his name as Abdul urged the police to focus on the Igbira camp due to incessant kidnappings in the area.
He said many persons have been abducted within the vicinity.
“I think it’s time the police beam a searchlight on the Igbira community in Auchi as the number of kidnapping around that area is alarming.
“The problem is these boys don’t want to work but are looking for easy money. The earlier their criminal activities are halted, the better for Auchi and other communities around that area.
“The government should also take action so that the people can see that they are important.”
In November last year, the Edo State Government analysis of security data showed a reported 59.4% improvement in security incident rates over previous year, with 2025 recording the lowest incident rate since 2018. It said the data demonstrated effectiveness of strategic investment in security.
Reacting to the increasing kidnapping, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Patrick Ebojele, in a statement, said the incidents would not diminish the resolve of the state to sustain and intensify its fight against kidnapping and other crimes.
Ebojele said the existential threat of kidnapping has become a worrisome issue that has taken more than a devoted attention of government.
“But for our intervention and the quality of what we have invested in curbing kidnapping, the spate would have been more alarming than what we presently have.
“The Okpebholo-led administration has been relentless in providing solutions to several security challenges; the peaceful and crime-free yuletide celebration is an indication of our commitment to making Edo state safe for all.
“Before the yuletide season, men of the Operation Rescue carried out a holistic bush combing exercise across Auchi, Agenebode, Okpella, Fugar and Owan areas to expose kidnappers’ den. The exercise was not only successful, the number of persons arrested and being prosecuted presently underscored the extent of the exercise. The Operation Rescue team was able to destroy quite a number of hide-outs of these kidnappers aside from the arrest. Some were also killed in the course of fire power exchanges in the forests. This is to make the point that the government is not resting on its oars, and the initial perennial incidences of kidnapping have been decimated to its lowest ebb. Our deliberate effort to nip the issue in the bud has yielded a lot of successes and we are determined to make Edo safe for all.
“What we expect from members of the Edo public is a show of solidarity and cooperation, particularly in the area of intelligence sharing with men of the Operation Rescue and other security agencies. Security concerns are a function of both the government and the people they govern. It is a collective indulgence that should not be left in the hands of the government alone. We feel pained as a government that the kidnappers claimed the life of Dr. Abu Momoh Tahir at a time we thought we had gotten to the safer corridor of our security engagement. We will continue to improve on our effort to make Edo non-habitable for crimes and criminalities as we call on all to be vigilant around their environment at all times. If anyone observes strange movements around their vicinity, appropriate report should be given to the law enforcement agents without delay.”
On his part, Governor Okpebholo said the state was almost a war zone, plagued by cult killings, kidnappings, armed robbery, and cybercrime when he assumed office in 2024.
“We acted decisively, repealed the weak anti-cultism law, passed a stronger one, supplied 60 Hilux vans and 400 motorcycles to security agencies, and recruited and trained 2,500 officers into the Edo State Security Corps. These measures have drastically reduced insecurity. Let it be known: Edo will no longer be a safe place for criminals.”
