There are reports which surfaced last week that former Golden Eagles Captain/Super Eagles star player, Wilson Oruma, lost his mind for two years while battling with insanity after he was duped by fraudsters introduced to him by a Lagos-based frontline Pentecostal Pastor, (name withheld) whose church (name withheld) is located in the Surulere area of the state.

Oruma’s travail started in 2012 when the Pastor in question invited the former victorious Golden Eaglets captain to a private meeting in the church to discuss the possibility of investing heavily into what he described as a lucrative business where he promised to invite the mega bucks investors to the church a week later. A date was fixed for this.

It was at the second meeting, it was gathered that the former Atlanta 96 Olympic gold medallists was introduced to some well-dressed gentlemen who were said to be in possession of some oil blocks they were ready to sell to the rich ex-international. Oruma, who acted alone without consultation with any of his lawyers and his close friend, Mr. Emakpor Dibofun, believed the story of the fraudsters and never suspected any foul play as they were introduced by his Pastor.

He was advised to invest heavily so as to yield heavy profit. The two-time African Nations Cup bronze medallist, withdrew funds from all his investments across Europe in three months and withdrew his life savings to ensure he pumped enough money into the oil business. He did not suspect any foul play as the Pastor kept assuring him that, the people are credible and are God fearing business investors.

In all, Oruma paid a whopping N1.2billion into the dedicated bank account given to him to make payments which he did over six months. The ex-soccer star that played alongside Frank Ribery and Samir Nasri in his days at Olympique Marseille FC of France started suspecting foul play when he did not hear from the people again and they failed to pick their mobile phones on days scheduled for important updates. He ran to his Pastor for possible succour and reassurance that all was well, but instead the Pastor rebuffed Oruma and told him that, he was a full-time minister of God who knew nothing about oil business, but only introduced him to those he believed could help make his business empire larger.

The Pastor asked if he was involved in the business dealings all the while and the answer was a capital no. He thus divorced himself from any blames leaving the soccer star to lick his own wounds but he was not strong enough to withstand the attendant psychological pressure. A few weeks after this ordeal, Oruma started behaving funny. He started talking to himself and had hot altercations with his wife at their Victoria Garden City home in Lagos.

It was gathered that, it was after one of the series of altercations with his wife who blamed him for the family’s misfortune and huge loss of money that Oruma busted out of their home in VGC and stormed a popular supermarket where he destroyed valuables. He was wrestled to the floor, with his legs and hands tied to avoid further destruction.

From this day in 2012, Oruma’s unstable mind became pronounced. His close friend, Emakpor with his hands and legs tied took the soccer star to a church in Warri, Delta state for spiritual healing. After destroying valuables in the church, Oruma escaped to his VGC home in Lagos where he continued to disturb residents. It was also learnt that with his unstable mind, he gave out one of his expensive SUVs worth N14million to a friend who speedily drove away the vehicle.

To avoid further embarrassments of VGC residents, Oruma’s family agreed to take him to his Suru-Lere home near Brown Street in Aguda, Lagos where secret treatments continued. He was first taken to the church where he was duped, which was nearby his Aguda home. Here, the culprit pastor after some failed attempts to heal the player advised that he should be taken back home as Oruma had been hit by a strange mental illness which defiled all known treatments.

The ex-international was tied and closely monitored in his Aguda home for over one year as the family sought spiritual healing for him. The player, who started his football career at Tamuno Babes FC of Warri, was not taken to an orthodox mental hospital in his family’s attempt to conceal his ailment from the public.

Oruma suffered untold hardship for two years as his family with the help of his close friend and former teammate, Emakpor Dibofun, took him to a number of Pentecostal churches in Lagos seeking spiritual healing. The much desired healing eventually came few weeks ago when he was given a clean bill of health as he overcame the mental illness. He has started walking again as the sores on his legs from long period of being tied down in one place are healing fast.

In the words of Oruma’s kid brother, Dominic a former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles goalkeeper; “Wilson is recovering fast, he now recognises his family members and he has returned to his house in VGC under the care of his wife. We are very happy about this. It was not easy seeing him suffer so much in the last two years after his money was taken away. We give God the glory for the gift of healing.

He played for the Eagles at the 2002 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing both competitions at third place. Oruma played most of his club career in France, after arriving at RC Lens in 1994. He was loaned to Nancy a year after. He returned to Lens and played in their 1997-98 Ligue 1 title campaign.

He moved to Turkish side Samsunspor in 1998 and returned to France one year later to play for Nîmes. In 2000, he was transferred to Swiss side Servette, played two seasons before coming back to France again, where he played until 2009 for Sochaux, Marseille and Guingamp, winning the 2003-04 Coupe de la Ligue with Sochaux and the 2008-09 Coupe de France title with Guingamp. The former Nigerian international announced his retirement from football at the age of 33 on November 26, 2010.

He last played his international football for Kavala FC of Greece, before bidding farewell to football.

What Kanu, Eguavoen, Siasia, others plan to do?

Meanwhile, Ex-Super Eagles stars, Augustine Eguavoen, Samson Siasia and Nwankwo Kanu, have agreed to take part in a football game to raise funds for their former colleague.

Oruma is still in mental distress after losing most of his money to swindlers six years ago.

The fund raising-match has been scheduled to hold in Lagos in February.

This was revealed by a former Super Eagles midfielder and ex-Chairman of Lagos State Football Association Waidi Akanni.

They also want to use the event to advise current players on how well to manage their finances and life after retiring from football in a career talk programme during the event.

Akanni said, “Since the news broke that he (Oruma) had a relapse of an emotional disorder, his former teammates have been trying to reach out to people around him to show love to him.

“Taribo, Kanu and some of the Atlanta 96 set are keen to turn out for their former teammate.

Oruma should remind us of Rashidi Yekini, Uche Okafor, others

The very pathetic news of the relapse of the mental illness suffered years ago by former Super Eagles attacking midfielder, Wilson Oruma came as a rude shock to many today.

Pictures they say tell stories. The pictures accompanying the story speak volume of how life could just turn a once happy and bubbling man into something unimaginable. Many are living miserable lives and dying in silence.

Most of them are suffering from psychological issues ranging from dropping from grace to grass due to poor mismanagement of their resources while actively playing to inexplicable ailment. Recall the story of Rashidi Yekini and how he passed on. It has a near semblance of what Oruma is passing through even if both cases didn’t emanate from same source. Again, one remembers Uche Okafor who committed suicide in the United States few years ago. It’s a known fact that some ex-internationals for one problem or the other had visited clerics and deliverance grounds like Prophet T.B Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s Adoration Ministry Enugu among several other clerics. One can only pray that Wilson Oruma gets help fast before his situation degenerates. It is nice to hear that his former teammates in the national team have been contacted to help but however, such help should not be limited to his ex teammates.

Sadly, most of the stories and situations of these ex-internationals become public knowledge when things had gone terribly bad. Most times, their families try to keep the situation away from public knowledge for shame or to prevent being seen as begging to salvage the situation of the person involved. But it should not be so. It takes the man standing to pull up the man on the ground.

We sadly remember Kelechi Emetoele’s case. Just recently Raymond King passed on after battling stroke. May God continue to protect our ex-internationals who in the course of their careers break bones and spill blood to bring honour and glory to Nigeria. May God in His infinite mercy deliver and heal Wilson Oruma and others facing similar fate and condition.