Dele Momodu reveals how his mother feared witches and wondered why he studied Yoruba after struggling to find work, as he paid tribute at Doyinsola’s burial

The ADC stalwart made the candid admission while eulogising the late Doyinsola Abiola at her burial in Lagos, recalling his early struggles and the family anxieties they sparked. He described the moment with a remarkable mix of humour and sorrow.

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“I came to Lagos in 1988 in search of greener pastures and I was desperate for a job. I studied Yoruba for my first degree and I couldn’t get a job as a teacher,” Momodu said, adding that his mother wondered why he would go to university to study Yoruba if not for supernatural reasons.

Dele Momodu went on to recount that even after earning a master’s degree in English Literature he still struggled for employment, prompting his mother’s worrying speculation that “witches and wizards were after me from my father’s village in Edo State.”

In reminiscing about his time with the late MKO Abiola and his relationship with Mrs Doyinsola—whom he affectionately called “Iya Paper”—Momodu painted a picture of a young man navigating Lagos and learning the craft of journalism and loyalty within a polygamous household.

The former editor’s story resonated with those gathered, offering a humanising glimpse of the early sacrifices behind a public life.

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His frankness served as a poignant reminder of the uncertainties many graduates face and the cultural responses families sometimes adopt when familiar paths fail to materialise.