Segun Odegbami Recalls Childhood Lesson: Father's Police Station Trip Over Jerseys
Nigerian football icon Segun Odegbami has revealed a profound childhood experience that shaped his understanding of integrity and responsibility. In a personal reflection, Odegbami recounts how his father taught him a lesson he never forgot—one that involved an unexpected trip to the police station.
The Football Passion and Daily Punishments
As a ten-year-old boy living at 64/5 Yandoka Street in Jos, Odegbami was passionately devoted to football. He played daily on the sandy field near the Magistrate Court, often neglecting chores and dirtying his clothes. The joy of the game outweighed the regular canings from his frustrated parents, a common plight among the neighborhood children who compared punishments after their five-a-side matches.
The Fateful Day with New Jerseys
One evening, Odegbami's team played in colorful yellow and red jerseys provided by Lawrence, a rascally ten-year-old neighbor. None of the boys questioned the source of the jerseys, simply wearing them with excitement. The vibrant attire drew more spectators than usual. As dusk settled, Odegbami, being the captain and best player, was entrusted with keeping the jerseys overnight to return them the next day.
He walked home happily, an old rhyme playing in his head: "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream." However, his father returned early from socials and noticed the new jerseys in the parlor, lit only by a flickering oil lamp. In a reverberating voice, he demanded to know where they came from.
The Inquisition and Police Station Visit
Odegbami explained that Lawrence had brought the jerseys and he was merely safeguarding them. When asked where Lawrence obtained them, he admitted ignorance. His father's mood shifted dramatically, eyes turning "blazing-red." Despite pleas from siblings, Odegbami was ordered to pick up the jerseys and follow his father into the night.
Marching up Yandoka Street, past the Magistrate Court, they turned toward the fire brigade station on Massallqchi Jumma Street. To Odegbami's shock, his father dragged him into the police station—a place he dreaded as meant only for criminals. Under his father's firm grip, he was deposited before a stern police officer.
"Officer, I don't know where my son got these jerseys from. I didn't buy them for him. He brought them into my house. Please find out," his father declared, leaving Odegbami with the "exhibits from hell" before walking out.
The Resolution and Family Sermon
Scared and shaking, Odegbami faced questioning as more officers arrived. Soon, the station filled with familiar faces: all the boys from the match, led by Lawrence, accompanied by parents and neighbors. In Jos's small community, everyone knew each other, and even the trader who sold the jerseys was brought in.
Lawrence confessed to stealing money from his father's till to buy the jerseys. After the other children were released, a policeman escorted Odegbami home to explain the situation. Relief seemed to settle, but at midnight, his father roused the family for a sermon that would guide their lives, making this episode page-one in the lessons taught.
Odegbami promises to reveal more lessons next week, including one his father never taught him, hinting at a recent disappointing experience in what a friend called a "gangsters' paradise."
