Members of the NFL Star’s Nigerian community adopt a wait and see attitude

Charles Omenihu - NFL Defensive end - News, Stats, Bio and more - The Athletic Until proven guilty, Charles Omenihu remains on suspected misdemeanor domestic violence charges for allegedly violently pushing his girlfriend to the ground

By Ed Emeanua

Mixed reactions continues to trail Friday’s announcement by the National Football League (NFL), it had temporarily prevented Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu from playing in the 2023 NFL season’s opening six fixtures over a disobedience of the league’s personal conduct policy.

The Chief’s defensive end is son of Sunday and Regina Omenihu, who reside in Garland, Texas, forcing members of the DE’s parents’ Nigerian community into a wait-and-see-attitude until the matter is judiciously resolved.

Most members of this community though not wanting to speak publicly, are however hopeful that the issue would be eventually resolved amicably to the Kansas City player’s favor, to avert the unwarranted adverse image to their community that a conviction from such an alleged heinous and barbaric conduct against the NFL Star would inevitably divert to them.

The suspension follows a January event when Omenihu, then playing under the emblem of the San Francisco 49ers, was arrested in San Jose, California for questioning pertaining to an alleged home brutality offense. According to San Jose police, a woman claiming to be the defensive end’s girlfriend had reported to them that Omenihu manhandled her to the ground.

Following the lingering legal issues currently surrounding the Chiefs player’s alleged assault of his girlfriend in January, the NFL finally decided last week to act on Omenihu’s likely misdemeanor domestic violence offense by handing him a six match suspension to run through the first six games from the start of the season.

The move stems from the fact that a person is assumed innocent before the law until proven guilty. So, Omenihu gets to play again after serving out the League’s enforced suspension of his involvement in the games over what the NFL have called an infringement of the organization’s personal conduct policy.

Omenihu can resume practice with the Chiefs in training camp and is free to participate in preseason Gridiron football but, the defensive end will have to stay off the main league season until Week 7 of the NFL before he can take part in any official game.

Nonetheless, there are curious observers on Twitter with medley reservations concerning the NFL’s enforcement of what the League calls its personal conduct policy. Most of the initial reactions centered on Omenihu’s no status change after NFL’s Kyle Shanahan initial comment on the issue following the then 49ers player’s domestic violence problem on Monday, January 23, 2023.

ESPN NFL reporter Nick Wagoner wrote on January 25: “The matter will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status.”

NFL statement on #49ers DL Charles Omenihu:

"The matter will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status."

— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) January 25, 2023

His post then drew @MunchTVx reply: “Arrest him now.”

Arrest him now

— 𝕄𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙🧤 (@MunchTVx) January 25, 2023

Michael Hauff @TheFFRealist interjected: “Gotta imagine this is the first question coming Kyle Shanahan’s way.”

Gotta imagine this is the first question coming Kyle Shanahan’s way.

— Michael Hauff (@TheFFRealist) January 25, 2023

Next to comment was 49ers Throwback @49ers_Throwback who responded thus: “@OurSf49ers,” followed by the images of two eyes and a hand writing.

@OurSf49ers 👀✍️

— 49ers Throwback ❤💛 (@49ers_Throwback) January 25, 2023

WittyMoniker @pyhtila79 contended: “Makes sense. The accusation comes with no evidence. The arrest was out of caution. You can’t take a man’s job on an accusation. They will need to settle it in court and then you decide on his NFL status. If he guilty throw him out of league for all I care.”

Makes sense. The accusation comes with no evidence. The arrest was out of caution. You can’t take a man’s job on an accusation. They will need to settle it in court and then you decide on his NFL status. If he guilty throw him out of league for all I care.

— WittyMoniker (@pyhtila79) January 25, 2023

And Johnny Carson @mrcockburnt rationalized: “Didn’t they find no evidence on her? Like I mean depending on where she fell yeah, there might not be anything. But you’d think an NFL DL pushing you over would leave at least a red mark or bruise.”

Didn’t they find no evidence on her? Like I mean depending on where she fell yeah, there might not be anything. But you’d think an NFL DL pushing you over would leave at least a red mark or bruise

— Johnny Carson (@mrcockburnt) January 25, 2023

And Pule49ERSLAKERSUSCDODGERS @PNgata caustically stated: “If he hit his wife arrest him, if he didn’t, let him play.”

If he hit his wife arrest him, if he didn’t, let him play.

— Pule🇹🇴49ERSLAKERSUSCDODGERS (@PNgata) January 25, 2023

Master Biter @Go_On_Bite_Me was even far more pessimistic and wrote: “Translation:” “We need Charles Omenihu this Sunday, so it doesn’t matter if he shoved his girlfriend to the ground, or even if he throws her out a window, we’re gonna hide like gutless cowards behind the league’s personal conduct policy, and he’s gonna play.”

Translation:

"We need Charles Omenihu this Sunday, so it doesn't matter if he shoved his girlfriend to the ground, or even if he throws her out a window, we're gonna hide like gutless cowards behind the league's personal conduct policy, and he's gonna play."

— Master Biter (@Go_On_Bite_Me) January 25, 2023

Just as ElCigarroBoricua @cigarroboricua cautioned: Did you all recall Zeke Elliot being charged and then were all lies.. until its proven he is not guilty. If he did it he should be suspended and i’m a niner fan…”

Did you all recall Zeke Elliot being charged and then were all lies.. until its proven he is not guilty. If he did it he should be suspended and i’m a niner fan…

— ElCigarroBoricua (@cigarroboricua) January 25, 2023

But j CHERNY @jCHERNY2 wrote with such palpable bewilderment: “Interesting that everyone is saying to arrest and suspend this guy, without any physical evidence of an injury, while Kamara played last season after he and his posse beat the hell out of a guy, with video evidence.”

Interesting that everyone is saying to arrest and suspend this guy, without any physical evidence of an injury, while Kamara played last season after he and his posse beat the hell out of a guy, with video evidence.

— j CHERNY (@jCHERNY2) January 25, 2023

Just as Jared Hammer (BlueCheckMark) @jjjhammer stated sarcastically: “Hopefully he didn’t place any bets on the AFC matchups. There would be swift and harsh punishments for that completely heinous behavior.”

Hopefully he didn't place any bets on the AFC matchups. There would be swift and harsh punishments for that completely heinous behavior.

— Jared Hammer (BlueCheckMark) (@jjjhammer) January 25, 2023