Amodu told me to see him by 10 O’clock— Coach Izilien

Former Super Falcons’ coach, Godwin Izilien, who was one of the assistant coaches to the late ex-Super Eagles coach, Shuaibu Amodu, broke down intermittently yesterday, as he recalled his last moments with him (Amodu).

“I was with Amodu on Friday night and we agreed to meet on Saturday by 10am, as he wanted to interview a driver he requested for,” Izilien told The Guardian amidst tears.

“So, Amodu deceived me. This is the 10 o’clock that we are now,” coach Izilien said as he broke down in tears. “We’ve always been together. We were at the palace for condolence on the demise of the Oba of Benin. I tried his line on several occasion on Friday, I couldn’t get him, so, in the evening at about 6.30, I called him again and told him ‘the driver you said I should look for you is with me, so where are you?’

“He said he was in the police station to bail somebody, so I went there and met him with his towns people. When they were through, I presented the driver to him, but he was in no mood to interview the driver. Rather, he said we should meet tomorrow (Saturday) by 10am for the interview. He drove his car and said he was going home to eat and have his medication, so we parted for the night. Now, this is the 10 o’clock Amodu promised we should meet….(breaks down in tears).

“He was my good friend. I am in a trance and I don’t believe that Amodu is gone.
 Amodu was a great guy, a bosom friend, greatest associate and my children are bombarding me already with calls to confirm the incident, he is gone.

“My greatest pain is what happens to the immediate family? I know him to the last person in the family. If you see me shed tears, not because Amodu is gone but because of the family he left behind: the wife, the children. He was keen in getting his children the best education. What will happen to them now is my biggest worry.
 

“It is a double tragedy for us (Amodu and Keshi’s death). God knows best and I cannot question God. May their souls rest in peace,”
 Izilien said.

One of his cousins, who was with him almost throughout Friday, Ankari Afegbua, a lawyer, said he believed his brother may have died out of frustration as he was being owed by government.  

“Apart from the pain he said he had in his chest, he was okay only for us to wake him up this morning to do the normal fasting and we met him dead.
I think he died out of frustration, because his financial status was not okay. He was complaining of not being paid and is having challenge maintainingthe home.

“I think the purpose of his being in Benin was to put up a bill for his payment. He is being owed by the NFF and the Edo State government.
While we were discussing on Friday, he was talking about how a Muslim should live his or her life and how he should be buried. He was a true Muslim. He believed in Islamic faith and that is why we said we will not leave him in the mortuary because by Islamic faith, you are not expected to be embalmed or be put in the mortuary,” Afegbua stated.