Iduh Onah
THERE are football victories that excite fans for a season, and there are those rare triumphs that awaken memories, revive old friendships, and reconnect us with people whose influence transcended the game itself.
Arsenal Football Club’s recent English Premier League triumph belongs firmly in the latter category for me.
As the celebrations unfolded across North London and among Arsenal faithful around the world, my thoughts travelled not to the Emirates Stadium, but to a departed mentor and friend, the late Durosinmi Irojah – fondly known to all of us in the Weekly Trust, and later, Daily Trust newsroom as ‘Oga Duro’.
Duro was much more than a sports enthusiast. He represented a generation of Nigerian journalists whose intellectual depth and professional versatility have become increasingly rare.
A first class graduate of Drama from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in the 1970s, he combined scholarly excellence with practical newsroom mastery. He was a classic all-round journalist, equally comfortable discussing editorial policy, writing compelling copy, editing reports, or resolving the technical complexities of newspaper production.
Perhaps one of his most admirable qualities was his generosity of spirit.
Duro never concealed his admiration whenever he encountered talent. In a profession where insecurity sometimes breeds envy, he freely encouraged younger colleagues, offering guidance and recognition without hesitation.
He also never hid his revulsion for poor journalism or convoluted narrative.
When I joined the Weekly Trust newsroom in early1999 as a part-time Reporter/Researcher, football fanship occupied only a limited space in my life. Like many Nigerians, my passion was reserved almost entirely for the Super Eagles and a few Nigerian football clubs – BCC Lions of Gboko, IICC (later 3SC) Shooting Stars, Enugu Rangers, Bendel Insurance, and El-Kanemi Warriors. European football was something I followed casually, if at all. But proximity to Duro changed that.
Arsenal home jersey.
His love for Arsenal was impossible to ignore. Match days were occasions for animated analysis, passionate predictions, and post-match debates.
Through countless conversations and shared viewing experiences, either in the office at Tunis Street, Off Lusaka Street, Wuse Zone 6 or in nearby NUJ Press Centre in Wuse Zone 5, Oga Duro gradually drew me into the fascinating universe of the English Premier League (EPL) and the UEFA Champions League.
I watched Arsenal because Duro watched Arsenal. I followed the EPL because Duro made it impossible not to.
Yet despite this growing interest, I never pledged allegiance to any club as a fan.
Then Duro passed away on Friday, August 13, 2004.
His death was so abrupt, without any visible ailment, as he was taking a siesta in the afternoon of our day off in his residence at Kuchingoro, Airport Road, Abuja.
His death left a profound void among colleagues, friends, and family, and of course, very traumatising for me.
In the days and months that followed, I found myself reflecting not only on his professional legacy but also on the many personal influences he had quietly exerted on those around him. It was during that period that I made what seemed an unusual decision: I would become an Arsenal supporter.
It felt less like a football choice and more like an obligation to memory – a small but enduring tribute to a mentor whose friendship had enriched my professional and personal life.
What followed, unfortunately, was nearly two decades of emotional endurance.
My sons – Abah Israel and Iwodi Joseph – inherited the Arsenal faith from me.
What began as a tribute became a family tradition. Together, we celebrated fleeting moments of promise and endured repeated disappointments.
Season after season, Arsenal appeared poised to reclaim domestic supremacy or conquer Europe, only for hopes to be smashed by stronger opponents, questionable decisions, tactical shortcomings, or simple misfortune.
The emotional investment became substantial, especially on my son, Abah, who after taunts from my younger brother who is a Man U fan, following a defeat, would cry uncontrollably.
Arsenal’s inability to secure EPL title or major European honours often felt like an unfinished conversation with Oga Duro himself. Each near miss seemed to prolong a wait that had begun the day we lost him.
That is why the club’s eventual return to the summit carries a significance that extends far beyond football. For supporters of a certain generation, especially those who remained loyal through years of frustration, Arsenal’s victory represents vindication.
It confirms that patience, however severely tested, can still be rewarded.
For me and my sons, the triumph has finally brought closure to a journey that began in remembrance and evolved into inheritance.
And so, if it were possible to send a message across the boundaries that separate this world from the next, I would say this: “Oga Duro, the wait is over. The Arsenal you loved so passionately have returned to the pinnacle of English football.
The years of longing, disappointment, and near misses have finally yielded celebration. The trophy cabinet is no longer gathering dust. The future once again appears promising.
“I imagine you smiling from your vantage position on the other side of existence with the same infectious enthusiasm that once animated discussions in the Weekly/Daily Trust newsroom or the press club.
“I imagine the familiar excitement that colleagues regularly witnessed at the now old press club whenever Arsenal secured an important victory. I imagine your confident analysis, your cracking, triumphant laughter, and the spirited defence of your beloved Gunners.
“More importantly, I imagine a deep sense of satisfaction – not merely because Arsenal have won again, but because the values you embodied continue to endure.”
Football trophies eventually fade into history. League tables are redrawn every season. New champions emerge, and old records are broken. What remains constant is the impact of exceptional human beings on the lives of others.
That, ultimately, is the enduring lesson of Durosinmi Irojah, the one and only Oga Duro.
Arsenal’s victory may have ended a long wait for silverware. But the memory of Oga Duro, mentor, scholar, journalist, and devoted Gunner, has never needed a trophy to remain fresh and victorious.
Onah is the Editor-in-Chief of NATIONAL RECORD and writes this column every Wednesday.
