There are strong indications that the widow of late Super Eagles former chief coach, Shuaibu Amodu, and her children are going through difficult times, having been denied access to the property and estate Amodu left behind.
Informed sources within the family of the coach, who died on June 10, last year, confirmed to our correspondent that the deceased’s siblings had refused to cede the property he left behind to his immediate survivors.
Though most family members, who are due to meet soon over the anomaly, kept sealed lips, owing to the sensitivity of the matter, one of the late Amodu’s close allies, a former chief coach of Bendel Insurance Football Club, Benin, Edo State, Mr. Godwin Izilien, opened up to our correspondent on the sad development.
Speaking in Benin City, Izilien, who worked closely with the late Amodu, lamented “the inhuman treatment the widow and children are suffering in the hands of his siblings.”
With eyes laden with tears, Izilien said when Amodu died, a sum of N8 million was given to his immediate family by the administration of former governor Adams Oshiomhole for the upkeep of his widow and children, and that the money was routed through the bank account of his younger brother.
“But, shockingly, a year after, the money has not reached the rightful owners. Amodu’s younger brother only gave his widow and children a sum of N10, 000 to celebrate last year’s Sallah,” Izilien said, adding that “when his eldest son was going for his national youth service programme, only N19, 000 was given to him. What could he do with that?”
‘HOW AMODU’S SON DIED’
Izilien revealed that Amodu’s sprawling building in Okpella, Estako East Local Government Area of Edo State and his two cars had allegedly been confiscated by his brothers.
He alleged that one of the deceased’s vehicles was also recently sold by his brothers, with proceeds from the sale shared among them.
He said, “It is disheartening that Amodu’s house in Okpella is still under lock and key with the children not having access to it. The same siblings seized the deceased’s cars. It is more painful when one remembers that one of his sons even gave up the ghost because there was no vehicle to rush him to the hospital in an emergency situation. Are his children not big enough to manage his property?
“What they are doing to these children and his widow is inhuman. I weep any time these children call me to complain. Death is not good. For God’s sake, the Shuaibu Amodu that I knew would never allow his children to suffer. He used to tell me then that all his labour was for his children. See the irony of life now. After his death, the same children cannot have access to their father’s property.”
KEEPING FAMILY’S ORDEAL SECRET
While some of the deceased’s children have been itching to tell Nigerians about their ordeal in the hands of their late father’s siblings, subtle threats and/or persuasion from family and friends have, up till now, kept the matter off the public.
Coach Izilien recounted how, at a recent function organised by the Edo State Football Association, one of such efforts was aborted.
According to the coach, the deceased’s son almost caused a stir as he had resolved to use the occasion to announce to the whole world the ordeals his mother and the entire children were going through in the hands of his uncles.
He said that a top government official, who hails from Amodu’s locality, Mr. Kazeem Afegbua, was the one who “prevented what would
have been an embarrassment as he successfully persuaded the young man not to talk.”
He noted that if Afegbua had allowed Amodu’s son to talk, a lot would have been exposed and perhaps, there would have been a redress.
MY FATHER NEVER JOKED WITH OUR STANDARD OF LIVING – AMODU’S ELDEST SON
In his reaction to the deprivations he, his siblings and mother were reportedly suffering since his father’s death, the late coach’s eldest son, Shuaibu Amodu (Jnr.) lamented that life had been difficult.
He said, “It is unfortunate that our father is late, and all these unforeseen issues are coming up. My father never joked with us in terms of standard of living. He wanted us to have the best in life. But that dream had been cut short by his unfortunate death. While I would want to reserve further comments till after the proposed family meeting, I must say that for us in the immediate family, we are old enough to handle our father’s property. Besides, we still have a mother and we need to take care of her seriously.
“It is just unthinkable that we are not always there to partake whenever decisions concerning us are being taken. How can any of my father’s property be sold without our knowledge? Please, I don’t have much to say now until the proposed family meeting holds; there, I will voice out what bothers us as children of the late Amodu Shuaibu. Please bear with us till then.”
I’M NOT BOTHERED ABOUT ALLEGATIONS – DECEASED’S BROTHER
When contacted on phone by our correspondent, Amodu’s younger brother, Zack, snapped, saying, “How did you get my number? I am not working against the family; what I am doing is to make the family happy. I am not bothered about what people have been saying. If you are not a member of Amodu’s family, you cannot know what is going on in the family. Very soon, people will know what I have been doing in the family.”
FAMILY SET TO MEET ON CRISIS
Disturbed by the trend of things in the family, some elders have decided to summon an emergency meeting to resolve what they described as ‘an impending danger’, our correspondent learnt.
Family sources, who did not want their names mentioned, told The Point that the meeting, which was scheduled for last week, couldn’t hold owing to the inability of some key members from Lagos State, to attend.
The meeting, it was gathered, had been rescheduled for a date soon.
LEGAL EXPERTS REACT
Having confirmed from impeccable family sources that Amodu died leaving no Will behind, two lawyers spoke on the implication of the ongoing saga in the deceased’s family.
One of them, Mr. Damian Lawani, said, “If there is no will, as it is prevalent in the African setting, especially in this part of Nigeria, so long as the man is survived by a wife and children, the property belong to them.
“In the late Amodu’s case, it is funny to hear someone say a graduate of a university (his son) cannot manage his father’s property. Let us even assume so. But their mother is there to help control and manage the property on their behalf, not to talk of a son who is already a lecturer at the Nigeria Institute of Sports.”
Speaking in the same vein, another lawyer, Mr. Jibril Eroh, advised Amodu’s siblings to hands off Amodu’s property, as it had dire legal consequences.
He also reminded them of the traditional implication, saying, “We from Edo North have a tradition; whether the man wrote a Will or not, his eldest son owns the property. Still, according to the tradition, even when the man is alive, the eldest son controls his father’s property.
“So, in this case, I would advise the eldest son to summon his father’s siblings at their traditional ruler’s palace. There, the issues will be resolved.”
It is unfortunate that our father is late, and all these unforeseen issues are coming up. My father never joked with us in terms of standard of living. He wanted us to have the best in life
THE MAN, SHUAIBU AMODU
Shuaibu Amodu, four-time coach of the Super Eagles, died in his sleep after complaining of chest pains on Friday, June 10, 2016. He was aged 58.
Amodu’s death came three days after the death of former Super Eagles captain and coach, Stephen Keshi. Amodu was born on April 18, 1958.
He started his football career as a striker and played for Dumez and Niger Tornadoes, respectively. His playing career ended after he broke his leg.
Amodu had managed a number of club sides, both in Nigeria and overseas. They include Shooting Stars, BCC Lions, El Kanemi Warriors and Sharks F.C, all in Nigeria, and Orlando Pirates of South Africa.
He first managed the Nigerian national team, from April 2001 to February 2002, when he led Nigeria to the AFCON bronze medal at Mali 2002.
He was re-appointed Head Coach of the Nigerian national side in April 2008, and was sacked on February 6, 2010, despite reaching the semi-final stage at the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola.
Amodu was appointed technical director of Nigeria’s national teams in May 2013. He was also named Technical Director of Bendel Insurance F.C, in November 2013.
He was re-appointed Nigeria manager in October 2014, replacing the late Stephen Keshi. It was his fourth spell in charge of the country. Keshi returned to the role two weeks later but was fired in July 2015 and Amodu took over the Eagles again,
temporarily.
He was later replaced by Sunday Oliseh on a permanent basis later that month.
Following the resignation of Oliseh, the NFF, again, appointed Amodu as new Technical Director of the national team. The new coaching crew, alongside Amodu, was made up of Salisu Ibrahim, Alloy Agu, Imama Amakapabo and Kennedy Boboye.
Amodu’s other accomplishments include Nigerian FA Cup titles with El Kanemi Warriors on multiple occasions and the African Winners’ Cup, with BCC Lions.
