Armed Brazilian policemen stormed the Santana Gold Flat, the hotel housing top Nigerian journalists, mostly editors of national newspapers in Nigeria in a secret surveillance move in search of drugs couriers.
The incident happened Sunday night after most Nigerians entered the city of Sao Paulo in readiness for the game against Iran the next day.
The head of the Nigerian top journalists lodging in the hotel, Managing Director of Complete Sports, Mumini Alao when briefed after the policemen left was furious stating that “you would have brought them to me.”
Other top editors in the hotel include, Kunle Solaja of the Sun, Akinloye Oyebanji of NTA, Paul Ogazi of NTA, Tony Ubani of Vanguard, Adekunle Salami of The New Telegraph, Duro Ikhazuagbe of Thisday, Christian Opara of The Guardian, Shaagee Orkula of Daily Trust and this writer.
In a related development, this writer was accosted by South Africa police in January in Johannesburg while on a stroll with a colleague for questioning and identification because according to them he looked like an Igbo man.
Meamwhile, the Nigeria Football Supporters Club were by world football governing FIFA stripped off their fanfare during the game between Nigeria and Iran decided at the Arena Da Baixada.
FIFA in collaboration with hosts Brazil before the game ordered that the Nigerian supporters must not be allowed to enter the stadium with their drums. It was gathered the move was purely for security reasons since the drums were sealed round without anyone knowing the content of what might be hidden inside.
With the about 300 of them seated in the stadium without drums, the fanfare and songs rendition known of the Nigerians supporters was absent all through the encounter. Moreso, the chants, woos and screams from the vociferous Brazilian crowd at the 42,000 capacity stadium dwarfed whatever the drumless supporters club were offering. “We were frustrated and ridiculed. Without those drums, the symbol of our performance was gone. I felt ashamed; moreso, the team was not winning. It was very frustrating.” A member cried.