'Follow my road, drop out' — Victor Boniface rejects fan's school fees plea, sparks debate

• Victor Boniface told a fan requesting ₦100,000 for school fees to "follow my road, drop out."

• He later asked another fan seeking money for a weekend outing to send an account number.

• The contrasting responses have fuelled debate over education, celebrity influence and personal responsibility.

Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface has sparked debate online after his responses to two fan messages on Snapchat went viral, revealing a sharp contrast in how he handled requests for financial help.

The first message came from a fan who identified himself as a long-time follower, asking Boniface to cover his school fees of ₦100,000.

"My boss please I am a great fan of you and I have been following you ever since but I really need your help boss. Please boss man, it is 100k," the fan wrote. Boniface responded via stories.

"As you dey follow me long time, you go know say I no go school. Follow my road drop out," he replied.

In a separate message, another fan told the striker he was looking for money to fund a night out over the weekend. Boniface's response to that request was markedly different, as he asked the fan to send his account details.

The screenshots, which Boniface shared on his own Snapchat story, spread quickly across social media and drew immediate reactions.

The overwhelming majority of responses condemned the contrast, arguing that declining a legitimate educational request while entertaining a frivolous one sent the wrong message, particularly from someone with Boniface's platform and influence.

A smaller faction defended him, pointing out that he is under no obligation to fund anyone's education and has every right to spend his money however he chooses.

The conversation has since broadened into a wider debate about the denigration of education in Nigeria, with many using Boniface's own words: "follow my road, drop out", as a reference point for a growing cultural attitude that dismisses formal education in favour of shortcuts to wealth.

Born in Owo, Ondo State, Boniface rose through Nigerian football before breaking into European football. He joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2023 and was instrumental in the club's historic unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning season in 2023/24, finishing as one of the league's most clinical strikers. He has since established himself as one of Nigeria's most exciting football exports.

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