Anike Wariebi shares her emotional journey following her father’s unexpected death, revealing that he had fallen victim to a long-term scam. Once a successful entrepreneur, her father became isolated and manipulated, believing his family was against him. As Anike and her brother uncovered the extent of his struggles through his emails, they chose to honor him with a traditional Yoruba funeral, reconnecting with their community and finding solace in their shared grief and love for their father.
When Anike Wariebi answered her brother’s call, she received devastating news: their father had passed away the previous night. This announcement struck her like a bolt from the blue. The loss of a parent is a profound experience, often unveiling unexpected secrets.
This was the reality for the British-Nigerian writer following her father’s death. As she sifted through his emails, she stumbled upon a startling revelation: her father, once a respected and thriving individual, had fallen victim to a long-running scam that had wreaked havoc on his life.
‘In My Eyes, He Was a Hero’
Anike Wariebi recalls her father, Joshua Kayode Adepitan, as a man of charisma, pride, and ambition. Hailing from a rural Nigerian village, he had built a successful life with two flourishing businesses: an airline and a furniture factory. He was an inspiring figure for his children, instilling in them his values and a deep appreciation for Yoruba culture and history.
However, Joshua’s world shattered when Nigeria’s economy crumbled under military rule. His enterprises collapsed, leading him into a spiral of loneliness and despair. As his relationships deteriorated, even his wife left him. Anike and her brother Femi, who were studying abroad, felt helpless witnessing their father’s decline. ‘In my eyes, he was a hero’, Anike reflects in a recent interview. ‘He had reached great heights through intelligence and determination. Although I was shocked by his downfall, I believed he would eventually recover.’ Sadly, that recovery never materialized.
‘He Believed His Family Was Against Him’
After their father’s passing, Anike and Femi discovered his Yahoo password, which opened the door to thousands of emails exchanged with a mysterious figure called “World Wide World Wide”. This shadowy character had manipulated their father for almost two decades, employing emotional and spiritual scams to exert control over him.
The scam was meticulously orchestrated. World Wide World Wide promised Joshua unimaginable wealth, asking for upfront payments to ‘unlock‘ fictitious funds. Over time, the demands grew increasingly pressing. This entity preyed on Joshua’s cultural and religious fears, driving a wedge between him and his loved ones by claiming they were the source of his misfortunes through ‘curses’ or ‘spiritual interference’. ‘He believed his family was against him’, Anike explains. ‘These emails were rife with veiled threats and empty promises, yet my father took every word to heart.’
‘My Father Was Trapped in a False Reality’
‘Reading those emails, I realized that my father was trapped in a false reality’, Anike shares. She paints a picture of a man she once admired, turned into a stranger by fear and manipulation. The correspondence revealed not only the extent of his financial ruin but also the profound isolation he had succumbed to. This finding helped Anike and Femi understand why their father severed ties with family and friends, spending his final days in a rundown motel, disconnected from the vibrant life he once knew.
‘It wasn’t merely a financial loss’, she writes. ‘He lost his dignity, trust in others, and even the capacity to love.’
‘I Thought He Was Forgotten’
Despite the sorrow and anger triggered by this revelation, Anike and Femi chose to honor their father with a traditional Yoruba funeral. Arranging such a dignified ceremony for a man who had lived in isolation was no small feat. They placed an announcement in a local newspaper and enlisted the help of childhood friends to reconnect with their community.
Against all odds, on the day of the ceremony, family and friends gathered to commemorate Joshua’s life. Adorned in stunning royal blue aso oke attire, dozens participated in this poignant occasion. The sound of drums filled the air as dancers led the funeral procession. Anike and Femi felt an overwhelming sense of relief: their father was finally reconnected to his family and heritage. ‘I thought he was forgotten, but their presence reminded me of the love and respect he had received’, Anike confides. She adds, ‘That day, I felt we could truly begin to heal.’
A Lesson for Everyone
Anike concludes her narrative with a profound reflection on human vulnerability. ‘My father was educated and intelligent, yet he was not shielded from emotional and psychological manipulation.’ Her story underscores the perils of sophisticated scams and emphasizes the importance of nurturing strong connections with loved ones, particularly during challenging times.
Though tragic, this story also highlights the enduring power of familial love. Through their trials, Anike Wariebi and her brother Femi managed to give their father a final tribute that honored the man he once was. This act, they believe, helped them find peace with their own grief and close a painful chapter in their lives.