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‘Playing in the NLO Was Wonderful’ — Amusat Faruq’s Journey From Street Football to Bigger Dreams
In the busy streets where football dreams are born with dusty balls and improvised goalposts, a young boy named Amusat Faruq Olamilekan first fell in love with the beautiful game.
Long before the bright lights of stadiums, tactical sessions, and Nationwide League One (NLO) matches, Faruq was simply another youngster chasing football around his neighborhood with endless passion and ambition.
At just 10 years old, football became more than a hobby to him.
Every street match felt like a final, every touch of the ball carried purpose, and every cheer from friends strengthened a dream that continued to grow stronger.
By the age of 12, Faruq joined JP Young Stars, the academy that laid the foundation for his football journey and helped transform raw talent into a promising prospect.
Years later, he still speaks proudly about the role the academy played in shaping his career.
Though statistics may only show one goal and three assists this season, Faruq’s influence goes far beyond numbers.
His intelligent movement, creativity on and off the ball, and fearless attacking style made him one of the standout young players at the Alade Stadium during the NLO campaign.
His breakthrough moment came unexpectedly.
After returning from a football trial in the Benin Republic, Faruq featured in a match for JP Young Stars. Among the spectators that day was a scout who immediately noticed something special in the teenager.
His confidence, movement, creativity, and ability to attack defenders caught attention instantly — a performance that eventually opened the door to a new chapter with Fedan FC.
Since joining the club, Faruq believes his football career has taken a major step forward.
“Joining Fedan FC transformed my career,” he said. “I gained experience, discipline, and exposure. It helped me understand football better both on and off the pitch.”
Those around him already see flashes of brilliance. Coaches and teammates fondly call him “Little Messi,” a nickname inspired by his admiration for Argentine football legend .
For Faruq, Messi is more than just a football icon — he is a source of inspiration.
The teenager studies his style closely, hoping to emulate the creativity, intelligence, and influence that made the Argentine one of football’s greatest players.
Still only 18 and set to celebrate his 19th birthday in September, Faruq already has his sights firmly set on the future. His dream is to play professional football in Europe and become a role model for young players who come from backgrounds similar to his.
“I want people to look up to me someday, the same way I look up to Messi,” he said.
This season also marked another significant milestone in his journey — his first experience playing in the Nationwide League One.
For many young Nigerian footballers, the NLO represents an important platform to step out of obscurity and into the spotlight.
For Faruq, it was an unforgettable chapter in his development.
“It was wonderful,” he said with a smile. “I enjoyed every moment.”
From street football to academy development, and from local pitches to the competitive stage of the NLO, Amusat Faruq Olamilekan’s story is still unfolding.
But one thing is alreads clear — the young boy who once chased football barefoot through the streets now carries dreams far bigger than the roads where it all began.
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have foiled multiple kidnap attempts and rescued victims across Plateau and Kaduna states.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the operation’s spokesman, Chinonso Oteh, who said the successful operations were conducted within the last 48 hours.
According to him, the swift interventions underscore the military’s unwavering commitment to maintaining security and ensuring the safety of commuters and residents within the Operation Enduring Peace Joint Operations Area.
“At Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, troops of Sector 6 deployed in Sopp District responded to reports of suspected kidnappers who blocked the highway along the Hawan Kibo–Rafin Sayin axis at approximately 12:30am of 5 June 2026.
“Upon arrival at the scene, the tactical team discovered an ash-coloured Honda vehicle with registration number APP-93CF abandoned in the middle of the road,” he added.
Mr Oteh added that the troops launched a thorough search-and-rescue operation in the surrounding bushes, which led to the successful rescue of six kidnapped passengers.
“The rescued individuals revealed that they had boarded the commercial vehicle from Lafiya, Nasarawa State, and were bound for Jos. While these victims are safe, the driver of the vehicle remains missing, and troops are maintaining an active search to locate and rescue him,” he said.
Similarly, troops of Sector 5 operating in Bokkos recorded another success against criminal elements in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
“Responding to an urgent distress call from Faggem Village on June 5, 2026, troops swiftly mobilised and foiled an ongoing abduction attempt, as the operational pressure forced the criminals to abandon their targets and fled into nearby forest,” the statement added.
Mr Oteh said the pursuit enabled troops to rescue a pastor and his wife from the kidnappers.
“The couple, who sustained injuries during the initial assault by the criminals, were promptly evacuated by the troops to Bokkos medical clinic for treatment,” he said.
He added that a manhunt to track down the fleeing suspects had been launched.
Also, in Ungwan Gora, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, troops of Sector 7 were deployed in the early hours of Saturday, June 6, 2026, following reports of terrorists blocking the highway between Rafi Tagwai and Angwan Dariya.
According to him, upon arrival, the troops discovered that the terrorists kidnapped some passengers travelling in a commercial vehicle.
He said eight empty 7.62mm special ammunition cartridges were recovered at the scene, after which troops immediately plunged into the adjoining forest on a rescue mission.
“The pursuit yielded immediate results as troops rescued two injured passengers while efforts are currently ongoing to rescue other kidnapped occupants of the vehicle.
“The rescued passengers were swiftly evacuated to a nearby hospital in Fadan Karshi District for medical attention,” he said.
BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—West Africa’s leading insurance and technology conference, Insurance Meets Tech (IMT), will return for its fifth anniversary edition on Thursday, 18th September 2026, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
Created by the strategic communications agency Creato Urban, the flagship event has evolved since its 2021 debut into a critical cross-industry platform designed to accelerate digital transformation, boost customer acquisition, and foster collaboration across the regional insurance landscape.
This year’s milestone event, themed “Building Insurance That Connects,” marks a fundamental shift in the industry’s digital evolution.
Rather than debating the theoretical benefits of technology, IMT 5.0 will focus strictly on the practical embedding of cutting-edge solutions into everyday insurance products, regulatory processes, and customer experiences. Convener Odion Aleobua emphasized that the conference comes at a critical juncture for a newly reformed and recapitalized insurance sector.
The core objective of IMT 5.0 is to bridge the existing gaps between technological innovation and consumer trust, ensuring that ambitious digital ideas translate into tangible impact and genuine financial inclusion for the people they are designed to serve.
To address these pressing integration challenges, the convention will bring together an interconnected ecosystem of founders, CEOs, domain experts, policymakers, and customers.
Attendees can expect a high-impact agenda featuring keynote presentations, technology showcases, and panel discussions dedicated to the forces reshaping African insurance.
The dialogue will directly confront the realities of deployment—moving from isolated concepts to collaborative, market-ready solutions driven by artificial intelligence, digitization, and customer-centric product design to define the future of the continent’s insurance landscape.
The post IMT 5;0 Set for September 2026 in Lagos appeared first on Business Today NG.
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