Segun Ozique

SCENE: Late afternoon. Everyone is relaxed. Jide leans forward, looking more thoughtful than usual. ​JIDE (Quietly): ​I tried something different on a date recently. She said something that really offended me. Usually, I would get angry or go cold. But this time, I chose curiosity instead of anger. ​OLA (Laughing): ​Curiosity? Jide, if a woman offends me, I don't need to be "curious." I need to be respected! Why should I wonder why she is being rude? Rude is rude. ​JIDE: ​That’s exactly what most people miss, Ola. There is no true love without curiosity. When you truly love someone, you have a natural urge to want to know more - even when they hurt you. Instead of condemning or judging them, you ask yourself: "What happened in their day to make them react like this?"  EOO (Nodding slowly): Jide has found the secret. Curiosity is the bridge back to that sense of miracle and wonder. When we stop being curious, love becomes a chore. But when we look at the person w...

SCENE: Christmas afternoon. The bar is decorated with red and gold. Music is playing, but the conversation is serious. ​JIDE (Looking around at the crowd): ​Merry Christmas, everyone! But look closely. Some people here are smiling, but they don't feel "welcomed." They feel judged. They feel like everyone is looking at their old shoes or their cheap phone and thinking they are inadequate. ​JENNIFER (Nodding): ​That’s because of how our minds are wired, Jide. We carry "preconceived notions." If you grew up feeling unworthy, you expect people to treat you poorly. Even when someone is kind, draws you near, critiques your actions to make you better, your brain tells you it’s a lie. This "expectation" ruins our relationships and our growth. ​NNE (Sipping a drink): ​Facts. And because you feel "less than," you start taking unnecessary risks. Do you see a guy acting "too loud" or drinking too much today? It’s usually because he feels small ...

SCENE: A Bar in Ikeja. A man in his 60s is sitting alone in the corner, looking deeply unhappy. Jide watches him for a moment before turning to the group. ​JIDE (Voice low, nodding his head slightly to the oldman, he says): ​Mr. Tunde is doing his end-of-year "spirit audit." He just told me he spent most of 2025 being insulted by a girl young enough to be his last-born. She’s street-smart and sharp-tongued, but she has no true respect for age or position. ​OLA (Snorting): ​That is what happens when a lion goes to play in the mud with pigs. If you lower your standards just to have a fling, to have some "young thing" on your arm, don't complain when she treats you like her mate. You gave her the "right" to insult you the moment you stooped low. ​NNE (Sipping her drink): ​Omo, it’s not even about age. With some such girls, it is about their mindset. If she’s argumentative and always wants to be "right," to "win" every talk, she’s just ...

SCENE: A Bar in Ikeja. Festive lights are twinkling. Jide is laughing as he looks at a message on his phone. ​JIDE (Calling everyone over): ​Listen to this Christmas dilemma. An "Old Man" is complaining about his 'informal house.' He says that he has "Adopted Sons" - the young guys' he partners, encourages and motivates in business - and has "Adopted Daughters" -  younger girlfriends. ​NNE (Smirking): ​We know what "adopted daughters" means, Jide. Go on. ​JIDE: ​He says the "Sons" are sending him Christmas gifts, money and business deals to say "Thank you." But the "Daughters" are sending him long lists of expenditure to do with hair, foods and drinks, etc. They are even fighting for more of his time during the holidays! ​OLA (Hitting the table): ​This is what I call a bad investment. One group is adding to his bank account, Peace of mind and the other is a "vulture" group, just picking at his p...

SCENE: A Bar in Ikeja. Nne is showing a post to the group. She looks confused. ​NNE (Sighing): ​I’m reading this story about a guy named Ik. Narrating his sad story. His girlfriend, Bola, always told him he was her "everything." But while he was always busy planning her future, she continued to see and sleep with old male friends and customers in secret. ​OLA (Leaning in): ​Let me guess. She stays over at hotels for "boarding" and few Naira notes? I’ve seen that story. My problem isn't just that she lies. It’s that she sold her loyalty for the price of a few meat pies! That’s cheap, an insult to the word "love." ​ JIDE (Satirically): ​Ah, Ola, maybe it’s "inflation love." But really, Ik says the worst part wasn't the money. It was the message she sent after. When she asks the men: "I hope you enjoyed it?" She acts like she was providing a service instead of being a woman in a committed relationship. ​NNE: ​That’s what’s so ...

SCENE: A Bar in Ikeja. Jide is looking out at the street where women are packing up their small umbrellas for the day. ​JIDE (Reflectively): ​I just found another "social business miracle" in our city. Have you guys noticed the ladies sitting under umbrellas at the motor parks, warehouses and markets? They sell small things - electrical materials, electronics, secondhand clothes, or socks. The whole shop isn't even worth 50,000 Naira. ​NNE (Shrugging): ​Everyone is hustling, Jide. 50k is a lot of money to some people. ​JIDE (With a satirical smile): ​Ah, but the wares are just a front. The real business is the "oldest profession." Their customers don't come for the goods displayed. They come to book a "Delivery" - that’s for a quickie. Or they book a "Lodging" - that’s for the whole night. The umbrella is just a signal. ​OLA (Angrily): ​This is a total social menace! It’s disgusting. We used to know where to find "those" women. ...

SCENE: The Bar. The music is low. Everyone looks a bit tired as the year 2025 comes to an end. ​NNE (Slumped in her chair): ​Honestly, 2025 "showed me shege." I feel like I’ve been running a race for 12 months and I’m still at the starting line. I’m tired, I’m broke, and I feel like a failure. ​OLA (Sighing): ​You’re not the only one, Nne. This year stretched everyone until we almost snapped. The economy, the stress, the disappointment... it was a lot. Most of us are entering the new year feeling "broken." ​JENNIFER: ​It’s a collective trauma. When you work hard and see no results, your mind starts to tell you that you are the problem. But we must remember that a bad year is a situation, not an identity. ​EOO (Takes a clean 1,000 Naira note, crushes it into a ball in his fist, then drops it on the table): ​Look at this note. I have squeezed it. I have stepped on it in my mind. It is "cracked" and "broken." ​JIDE (Picking it up and smoothing it ou...

SCENE:  A Bar in Ikeja. Nne is holding her phone out for everyone to see. On the screen, a girl is crying and kneeling, begging her fiancé. ​ NNE (Disgusted): ​You guys, come and look at this. This girl is begging her fiancé to take her back. He cancelled their wedding because he caught her cheating. She’s crying like her life is over. ​ OLA (Sipping his drink, nodding): ​As he should! A woman who is about to marry should be pure and focused. If she can cheat now, she will cheat forever. He did the right thing to walk away. No man wants a "used" or disloyal wife. ​ JIDE (Laughing dryly): ​It’s funny, Ola. Last month, when your cousin had his "Bachelor’s Eve" and stayed out all night with two girls, you and the other guys were hailing him. You called it his "last run" before the ring. Why was he a "king" for doing it, but this girl is a "demon" for the same thing? ​ NNE : ​Exactly, Jide! That’s the point. When a guy sleeps w...

SCENE: Evking's  Bar. Nne is watching a video, of a young girl dancing to music coming from her earpiece and showing her breast and underwear just to get "likes" from her followers. ​ NNE (Looking at her phone): ​See this girl. Almost naked on Live video just for people to follow her and perhaps, invite her for date." She maybe making money, from hookup, etc but omo, this is embarrassing. Where is her pride? ​ [02] OLA (Drinking his beer): ​Pride doesn't buy rice, Nne. In this country, you do what you have to do to eat. If hookup and going naked pays the bills, then she is in business. Dignity is for people with full bellies. ​ JENNIFER (Shaking her head): ​I disagree, Ola. Immanuel Kant, a famous thinker, said that humans have an "intrinsic worth" - that means a value that money cannot buy. If you treat yourself like dirt, the world will treat you like trash. You don't need to be rich to have dignity. ​ EOO (He has been watching, he ...

SCENE:  A Bar at Ikeja. The sun is setting. Jide looks disturbed as he holds his glass. ​ JIDE (Voice low, looking at the others): ​Something happened last night that made me cold. I was at a bar in Ikeja around 8:30 PM. Two young girls—they couldn’t be more than 15 years old - walked up to me. They were selling health supplements for a company. ​ NNE (Eyes wide): ​At 8:30 PM? In a bar full of drinking men? That is wild. That’s not even a "side hustle" anymore. That’s straight-up danger. ​ OLA:  ​Where are their parents?! That is the first question. How can you let your female child wander into bars at night to sell things to strangers? Some parents are just wicked, using their kids like ATM machines because they are lazy. ​ AMARA (Angry): ​It’s not just the parents, Ola. Where is the Lagos State Government? Where is the Employment Regulatory Agency ? It is illegal for a company to hire children, especially for night work in bars! These companies are using these ...

SCENE: A Friday afternoon. Ada is showing the group a viral "What I Eat in a Day" video of a very thin influencer. ​ ADA (Looking at her phone, then at her own waist): ​Omo, see this girl’s stomach. It’s flat like a board! She says she only drinks green juice and water for breakfast. I feel like a bag of rice just sitting here. Should I start this "cleanse" too? ​ NNE (Snatches the phone): ​Ada, stop it. That’s not a "cleanse," that’s starvation . This "thinspiration" content is toxic. They use filters to make their waists look tiny, then sell you tea that just makes you run to the toilet. It’s a scam, and it’s making girls hate their real bodies. ​ JENNIFER (Nods, adjusted her glasses): ​There is a term for this in psychology. It’s called Social Comparison Theory . Studies show that when women are constantly exposed to these unrealistic images, their self-esteem drops significantly. Many influencers promote diet culture and "w...

SCENE: The outer seating area of the "Work n Play Bar." A man (in his sixties) just left with a girl who looks very young (maybe 19-20). ​ OLA (Watching them go, shaking his head): ​Na waa o. See that? A grandpa with his grandchild maybe leaving here to go straight to hotel room for sex. That is the end result of what's happening online. The internet, TikTok, Face Book, Badoo, etc all these apps - they have made it normal for people to look for kids. They sexualize young girls before they even finish secondary school. ​ NNE (Sighs, looks annoyed): ​Ola, stop blaming social media for old men being predators. That man would have found a young girl in the village market twenty ir fifty years ago. But I agree, the apps make it faster . True. We see the videos. The AI-generated stuff of young girls? It’s dark. It teaches men and boys that minors are just objects for for use. This is a massive safety fail by the big tech companies. ​ JENNIFER (Holds up her phone, poi...

SCENE: A busy WnP Bar, everyone waiting for for a football match. ​ OLA (Looking at one of the bar service boy buying multiple lottery tickets): ​It's an indictment on our society. People who can barely afford their next meal are queuing to buy pure-water sachets, betting on sports, or paying for worthless 'miracles' instead of saving. They complain about poverty, then actively drain their meager resources on needless items . I find it less about a lack of money and more a lack of financial discipline. ​ JIDE (Shaking his head gently): ​Ola, you're treating the symptom, not the sickness. When a life is defined by constant scarcity -  the lack of food, light, security - the brain works differently. Psychologists at Princeton found that poverty impedes cognitive function . The mental load of daily survival leaves little 'brain power' for long-term planning. Those lottery tickets aren't financial waste; they're a tiny, desperate, and sadly predicta...

SCENE: A corner table at the lively WorknPlay, bar, Ikeja on a Friday evening. ​ JIDE (Scrolling through a friend’s dating profile): ​Look at this profile. It’s a curated museum of a life he doesn't actually live. The hiking photo, the dog photo he borrowed, the one photo where he's vaguely leaning near a yacht. This isn't relationship seeking; it’s an application for social approval , filtered and optimized. We’re all just looking for digital dopamine hits. ​ OLA (Not looking up from his drink): ​Why separate them? Approval is the relationship currency these days. You meet someone, you immediately assess their social capital - follower count, aesthetic quality of their feed, and who follows them. It's just market efficiency . If your profile is garbage, you signal low value, regardless of your actual personality. The motivation is success, and success is defined by approval. ​ JENNIFER (Reading a post on her phone, stopped): ​I disagree that. Profile are not...

SCENE: A casual makeshift meeting discussing regional insecurity. ​ OLA (Pacing, visibly frustrated): ​The government says it will 'investigate abuses' and 'protect people.' They've been saying that for years. That's not a plan; that's a press release. Protection is what happens before the bodies pile up, not an empty promise after. ​ JIDE (Sighing): ​True, Ola. The promise to investigate in Nigeria is like a magician's act: the government waves a big, flowery statement, and accountability vanishes . The security forces that are supposed to protect are often, simultaneously, the ones being investigated. It's a closed-loop system of perpetual injustice. ​ AMARA (Checking her phone for supportive documents): ​Jide is satirizing, but he hits the point. The lack of accountability is systematic. For instance, Amnesty International and other credible bodies have documented over 1,844 deaths in the South-East between January 2021 and June 2023, a...

SCENE: A casual gathering at Work n Play restaurant. Late Evening. ​OLA (Sipping his beer, eyes fixed on his laptop): ​I saw the price of a small basket of tomatoes this morning. It's truly mind-boggling. We're effectively in an era where basic sustenance is a luxury. But the worst part is the acceptance. ​JENNIFER (Looking unimpressed): ​Acceptance is perhaps an inaccurate term, Ola. People are not accepting; they are coping with a state of hyper-inflation. As the economist John Maynard Keynes noted, "The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent." The masses are simply enduring the irrationality of the cost of living. ​NNE (Typing rapidly on her phone, not looking up): ​Naah. It’s definitely acceptance. We complain on Twitter, yet, still buy the overpriced stuff, and then make a TikTok content about our struggle meal. The practical action is to either revolt or switch our diets to something cheaper, but we do neither. We just rebrand suffering....

She was thirteen... But her story AGED a nation. Her laughter, snatched. Her innocence blongioned She bled into tradition where truth Was cross-examined and silenced. The parents named her Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje - In the court world, she was just anither case file. An evidence. Mere exhibit. Story of another girl-child turned a whispers. She was only eight… When monsters wore the mask of family. A home meant as learning safe haven Became a laboratory of distraught Each night, another lesson in assault. Each dawn, a new chapter of shame. As a cousin turned sexual predator. His father sooner joined as accomplice. While his mother, her aunt, looked away. Warned to maintain silence like everyone A noisy silence, more hurtful than the rape. And the system? Ah—Nigeria’s justice system— They dressed in wigs white as innocence, but their hands dripped red with neglect. Gavel pounding on her grave instead of her rapists. Law turned to lullaby— singing the monsters to sleep. They said, “No pr...

The world of physiotherapy is evolving fast. In Nigeria, modern clinics are embracing telehealth, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) to make care more effective, accessible, and engaging for every patient. These innovations are transforming rehabilitation - helping patients recover faster, stay motivated, and enjoy a better quality of life. 1. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) in Physiotherapy: VR and AR are redefining recovery. By creating immersive, game-like experiences, patients can practice real-life movements in a safe, controlled environment. Motivation through gamification: Therapy becomes fun and engaging, increasing consistency. Personalised tracking: Data from each session helps therapists tailor programs in real time. Pain management: Immersive environments distract from pain, making exercise more tolerable. VR and AR are especially effective for stroke rehabilitation, spinal injuries, and neurological recovery. 2. Artificial ...

You are a rarity with a heart of  light With soul soft as dawn, pure as dew,   Untouched by evil shadows,   Unshaken despite the world’s weight.   How could anyone *not* love you?   Even your mischief is spun from kindness,   Your laughter a melody that disarms,   Your spirit too bright for bitterness to touch.   With your gentle defiance of cynicism,   Displaying goodness, like a child’s wonder,   With laughter that never dims but glows brighter,   Even when life tries to teach it caution.   So keep your shenanigans, and playful storms,   For they too are part of your magic:   You are an unguarded joy of a soul   That needs no armour to be brave.

It's been nearly twenty-five years, a journey begun, With a visit to your friend, my sis - then we walked beneath moonlit skies and under sun. Through laughter and tears, joy and strife, You’ve remained the heart and grace of my life. With every sunrise, I count myself blessed, To walk this path with you-my soul’s rest. You’ve shaped my world with love and light, Made wrongs seem fewer, and burdens light. Your strength is silent, your kindness deep, In your arms, even storms go to sleep. You’ve lifted me higher, helped me stand tall, With a quiet resolve that carries it all. Your beauty endures, both inside and out, A radiant smile that casts away doubt. And oh, your stern gaze—so firm, yet true, Still has the power to pull me through. I still see us walking, side by side, On quiet Abuja evenings, in gentle stride. Those moments linger, soft and bright, Memories wrapped in golden light. You’ve met life’s trials with hope on your lips, With steady grace and whis...

When you ask her to call or text when she’s home safe,   I ask you to pause a tad bit to let the weight of that request unravel.   For this is a she, who has walked alone through the years,   who has carved her path through storms and silence,   Who does not need your vigilance to prove her place or ability to take care of herself  She is no fragile helpless thing, not a damsel in distress.   Her independence is not a void for you to fill,   But a testament to the life over the years she has built A life where she learned to stand tall,   To navigate the world with her compass.   Yet here you are, offering care wrapped in assumption,   As if her safety were yours to oversee.   Ask yourself: how many nights and streets as she walk alone,   Unshielded, unafraid, before you came into her life?   How many thoroughfares has she conquered,   Her resolve unbrok...

Dear Val, when I say "I love you" on the 14th, Those words will rise from the depths of my soul. As my heart insists on reinforcing them in yours, Unwavering, unending, boundless. Know too, the cast may happen in a special way To freeze the words, imprinting them in a magical moment, pure, It is so so that you know, my "I love you," stays locked in your heart To linger, eternally and stay frozen in time When then the day marked so gloriously fades to silence, I’ll ask that you put back the batteries to restart the clock To let the regular love life take over as it ought,  While the 14th remains, a memorial, a lyrical song in your heart. For I am certain, in the days of the 15th and beyond, when that tune is replayed, When memories whisper it through time’s embrace, They will bring warmth, a gentle smile to your face, For in love, such magical moments committed to memory never truly fade.

Oh, those sweet thoughts of you, they come again,   Invading my mind like a gentle, whirling wind.   They carry me to places where memories bloom,   To where I meet the light to dispel my gloom.   In the ebb and flow of life’s relentless tide,   You’ve been my anchor and a constant supportive guide.   Thanks for agreeing that love isn’t measured in time,   But in moments that make the ordinary sublime.   When I asked if distance could weaken our bond,   You laughed and said, “No, our hearts are beyond space," you said.”   When I worried if you’d ever need more,   You assured me, “I’m strong, but you’re my core.”   Your words are a balm, your love a steady flame,   A beacon of hope helping a lost lover in life’s game.   You’ve shown that even in the darkest nights,   You can make available your love lamp to lead me to light. ...

Eva Ebube Okafor is what she is named,   But that is the least of her angelic qualities.   In her, you truly will find an eternal muse,   Hers is love so profound, it transforms every vibe.   She is nice, kind, and beautiful, as each letter in her name represents,   In each letter, a symphony of grace and loveliness.   E - is for her elegance, a vision so rare,    V - is for her vitality, a spark so divine,   A - is for her allure, a charm so complete,   E - again for her empathy, a heart so pure,   B - is for her brilliance, a mind so bright,   U - is for her uniqueness, one-of-a-kind,   B - again for her bravery, a survivor E - once more for her essence, her soul so free,   O - is for her optimism, hope she is working hard at K - is for her kindness, a heart warm and pure A - is for her affectionate heart; tender yet tough F - is for her faithfulness, stead...

In truth, the path to your growth is clear and bright,   Moving forward resides in you, in your might.   No outsider, affirmations, books, or spiritual creeds,   Can truly resolve challenges to meet all your needs. Ultimately, the power lies in your own hands,   To shape your life, to make your plans.   What sacrifices are required, the needed mindset shifts,   All will be set in motion when your courage lifts. If in your path peace and growth eludes your way,   Then to ask that you chat a new course needs no sway.   As the journey is yours, so too is the choice as true,   For the key to the required changes is within you.

Is your love, like an ancient tree, that stands tall,  Its roots deep-set, enduring through it all With patience like the river’s gentle flow,  Yet, like diamond overflowing with a delightful glow? Is your love, like mountain strong, yet soft as rain,  Love that sees with a heart that feels others' pain Such love, a pure gift, like sunlight’s warm embrace, Not love selfish, but for all others' grace? Such love that expects nothing, like the silent stars, Love like divine flame, guiding from afar.  Beyond the grasp of mere comprehension,  Love so vast, it defies convention. Love that is present in every act, like petals in breeze, Such love revelling in power with ease.  A beacon bright, like moonlight in the night, Guiding all through life’s intricate flight.

In all affairs, take time to play,  Let joy and laughter light your way.  For freedom, health, and grace we find,  Are treasures often taken for granted. Be grateful for each breath you take,  For every dawn, for each mistake.  When accidents and age are far,  Embrace the moments as they are. Do not let others dim your light,  With tales of fear or endless nights.  Life’s precious gift, you live but once,  So dance and sing, in 2025, and take your chance. Mistakes will come, they’re part of life,  They teach us through both joy and strife.  For freedom’s price is paid in full,  By living bold, by being whole. So cherish every fleeting day,  And let no sorrow lead astray.  For in this life, so brief and grand,  The key to joy is in your hand.