My Encounter With Betrayal: The Day Shodunke Refused to Spy on Chief Osoba

​ABEOKUTA — Decades after a covert political intrigue nearly compromised the journalism profession in Ogun State, veteran media practitioner Chief ‘Femi Shodunke has recounted how he turned down a lucrative directive to covertly wiretap former Governor Segun Osoba.

​Reflecting on the 87th birthday celebration of the veteran journalist and former Ogun State Governor, Chief Osoba, Shodunke shared a gripping narrative of professional integrity, tracing back to an incident in late 2003 or early 2004.

​At the time, Shodunke was driving to the residence of the former governor for a scheduled press conference when he received an urgent summons from a senior government official to detour to the Governor’s Office complex.

​Upon arrival, Shodunke met a delegation of officials who laid out a specific, clandestine assignment: he was instructed to place a live mobile call from his phone to Chief Osoba’s residence, allowing the officials to eavesdrop on the private conversations happening inside “live and direct.”

​To sweeten the deal, the operatives dangled a promise of a telephone recharge card—valued at about five thousand naira at the time—alongside an honorarium to ensure technical readiness.

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​Recalling his swift rejection of the offer, Shodunke stated that he flatly declined the directive, citing both professional ethics and personal morality. Guided by his maternal upbringing and a strict code of ethical conduct, he walked out on the proposition to preserve his integrity.

​”I insisted that besides its unethical conduct, it’s immoral and un-Godly for me to engage in such act,” Shodunke noted, invoking the foundational values instilled by his late mother.

​Although Shodunke successfully walked away from the compromise, leaving to join his colleagues at Osoba’s house with his reputation intact, he noted with regret that another journalist ultimately carried out the assignment.

​While the full scope of the fallout remains archived in his memory, Shodunke emphasized that his refusal was rooted in an unwavering commitment to resins and the nobility of journalism, rather than mere political alignment. He dedicated the reflective piece to honoring Chief Osoba’s enduring legacy as both a political leader and a global icon of the Nigerian press.