Makurdi Goes Red as Arsenal Fans Celebrate EPL Glory After 22 Years

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

Makurdi, the Benue State capital, came alive with excitement and jubilation Arsenal supporters, in their thousands, staged a colourful parade to celebrate the club’s English Premier League triumph after 22 years of waiting.

The supporters who were all in high spirits, were spotted in red and white jerseys, waving flags and chanting victory songs as they marched through major streets of Makurdi city in what many described as an unprecedented football celebration in the state.

The celebration, tagged the Arsenal Premier League Champions Parade and Celebration, started at Kenville Park in the High Level area of Makurdi from where the fans moved through the underpass before ending at a casino where they gathered for a watch party to witness Arsenal’s final game of the season and the official presentation of the trophy.

Speaking during the event, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Andrew Orduen, popularly known as OD Woods, said the celebration was a consolation after years of patience, loyalty and endurance.

Orduen, the State Coordinator for National Brand Development and Made in Nigeria Project Office in Benue State, said supporters of the club had endured years of ridicule and mockery from rival fans saying “Today, we have decided to gather all Arsenal fans in Benue State to celebrate this victory that is worth celebrating. After 22 years of waiting, after coming second so many times, today we are number one and we want to celebrate it.”

According to him, Arsenal supporters had been subjected to different forms of banter over the years, explaining that “We have been called buttlers, we have been called Netflix FC, second-class citizens, people that always come second. But today, we want to celebrate in a way that they will hide their faces and eat their words.”

He explained that the celebration was designed not only to rejoice over the victory but also to showcase the unity and passion among Arsenal supporters in the state. “We want the whole Benue and the whole world to feel our joy and happiness. This is how we unite as Arsenal fans and show our love for the beautiful game,” he added.

Our correspondent reports that the celebration featured a trophy parade, music, dancing, barbecue and entertainment, with a cow reportedly prepared for roasting at the venue.

“We are going to entertain ourselves and celebrate this patient and well-deserved victory. Nobody in the history of Benue State has celebrated a football victory like this before. We want to show others how it is done,” Orduen declared.

He also expressed gratitude to Arsenal players and staff for ending the club’s long wait for the league title.

“We are going to celebrate this team forever. Every player, coaching crew, kitchen staff and everybody who contributed to this success will always be remembered as the team that brought victory back to Arsenal,” he said.

Vice Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Joseph Kutuh, recalled that he began supporting Arsenal in 1999 after Nigerian football legend Nwankwo Kanu joined the club.

“I discovered that Arsène Wenger was a wonderful coach and the style of football made many of us stick with the club,” he said.

Kutuh said the victory meant a lot to supporters who had endured years of disappointment and mockery.

“In 2004 when Arsenal last won the league, my children were still very small. Today, one of them is married. So you can imagine the pressure and banter we have faced over the years,” he said.

He praised the current squad for restoring pride to Arsenal supporters worldwide.
“They have written their names in gold and entered the book of legends in Arsenal history. Even those who may be leaving should continue to represent Arsenal wherever they go,” he added.

Also speaking, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman for Makurdi Local Government Area, Paul Tion, described the victory as emotional and symbolic for long-time supporters of the club.

“I have been an Arsenal supporter for about 35 years. This is something very symbolic for us because it took us 22 years to win this trophy since the days of the Invincibles,” he said.

Tion noted that football had become a unifying force capable of bringing people together regardless of political, religious or ethnic differences.

“This cuts across political divides. We are Arsenal supporters and one family. What has united us here today is Arsenal and we believe this unity can go beyond football,” he added.

He disclosed that activities lined up for the celebration included a thanksgiving service scheduled for June 7, 2026, at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, Apir, as well as humanitarian outreach to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

“We have set up collection centres for relief items that will be donated to IDPs. We are also taking a cow to them. These are little ways we want to impact society with the love we are sharing today,” he explained.

Some female fans who spoke during the event expressed excitement over Arsenal’s triumph. Emanuella Hwande, described the victory as long overdue saying “We are out here to celebrate Arsenal’s victory after 22 years of waiting. We are so excited today,”

Another supporter, Deborah Adekaa, said she was overwhelmed with joy., “I am happy. I am overwhelmed. After 22 years of waiting, Arsenal has finally done it.”

The Media Strategist of the Arsenal Trophy Parade and Watch Party, Iorliam Shija, former aide to Samuel Ortom, has stated that the parade and watch party are only part of the activities lined up for the two-week celebration programme organized by Arsenal supporters in Benue State.

Speaking to journalists Shija disclosed that more activities are scheduled to follow, including a grand watch party on May 30 for Champions League , a thanksgiving mass at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, Apir, as well as humanitarian visits to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

According to him, the programme is designed not only to celebrate Arsenal’s success but also to promote unity, community engagement and humanitarian outreach among fans across the state.

He urged Arsenal supporters to remain coordinated online and offline, participate actively in all scheduled events, and continue using the official campaign hashtag #BenueArsenal to drive visibility and engagement throughout the celebration period.

The celebrations continued into the evening as jubilant supporters danced, sang and painted Makurdi red in honour of Arsenal’s historic Premier League triumph.