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Enyimba FC have announced the departure of 22 players from their squad, a sweeping clear-out that has sparked renewed debate about the state of Nigeria’s domestic football.
Among the departures is former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye, who has openly criticised the standards of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and Enyimba’s treatment of players.
The People’s Elephant confirmed in an official statement that Ideye, Junior Lokosa, Fatai Abdullahi, Elijah Akanni and several others will not feature in the 2025/26 season.
Three more players – Obichere Wisdom Odinaka, Purpose Ahubaraezemma and Samuel Buah Nuako – were sent out on loan.
Barren season fuels frustration
The mass exits come on the back of a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, where Enyimba finished far outside the continental qualification places and ended the season without a trophy.
For Nigeria’s most successful club, with eight NPFL titles and two CAF Champions League crowns, it was a season that highlighted both on-field decline and deeper structural challenges.
Ideye’s stinging criticism
Ideye, who surprised many by returning home after years in Europe, gave a damning assessment of life at Enyimba. He revealed that players were poorly treated, citing away match allowances of just ₦7,000–₦8,000, irregular bonuses often delayed until the end of the season, and inconsistent salary structures across the league.
“The worst part is you don’t get your match bonus weekly or monthly. They accumulate it and give you at the end of the season.” Ideye alleged while speaking on the Bet9ja Home Turf podcast.
Even those bonuses, he claimed, are inconsistent and based on arbitrary decisions.
“It depends on what the captain, chairman or director agree on before the season. If it’s a game they really want to win, they may raise it to N30k or N40k. But on average, it’s N15k, sometimes N10k.”
The 36-year old’s remarks also touched on larger NPFL issues such as weak club management, poor infrastructure, and the mass exodus of talented players to obscure foreign leagues.
Enyimba at a crossroad?
With the new season kicking off on 22 August against league debutants Barau FC, followed by home games against Niger Tornadoes and Nasarawa United, Enyimba now face the challenge of rebuilding quickly.
Club officials thanked the departing players for their service, but fans remain concerned about whether such an overhaul can bring stability or further turbulence.
Full List of Departures
Permanent Exits
Imo Prince Ikemdinachi
Musa Usman Babalolo
Innocent Gabriel
Nelson Michael
Alade Muyiwa Balogun
Nnachi Chidiebere
Chisom Ejio
Junior Lokosa
Fatai Abdullahi
Imo Obot Udo
Umeh Gozie
Olufemi Opeoluwa
Somiari Orinate Alalibo
Chidera Eze
Ukadiike Chiemerie Divine
Augustine Onyemaechi
Gideon Peter
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Tobias Orkuma
Leonard Obinna
Brown Ideye
Ani Ozoemena
Elijah Akanni
Loan Moves
Obichere Wisdom Odinaka
Purpose Ahubaraezemma
Samuel Buah Nuako
