‘Boniface is mentally depressed’ — Concern for Super Eagles star rises after cryptic Instagram post

Concern surrounding Victor Boniface has grown after the Bayer Leverkusen striker wiped his Instagram page and shared a cryptic, prayer-like message that left fans questioning what could be happening in his life.

The Nigerian forward offered no explanation before deleting every post from his Instagram grid and replacing them with an emotional message directed towards God.

Boniface wrote: “Dear God: I have no idea what's happening in my life right now, but I just want to say thank You for being with me in my highs and my lows. My life hasn't always been easy, but one thing I know: You have never left my side. You are my everything.”

The post quickly spread across social media, with supporters speculating about the reasons behind the sudden change.

When reports began focusing on his deleted posts, Boniface appeared to respond to the growing commentary with another cryptic message, sayihng, “Problem wey money go solve them 1 use motivation kill me.”

Written in Nigerian Pidgin, the response appeared to suggest that Boniface felt some of the online reaction was unnecessarily dramatic. However, it did little to end the speculation surrounding his state of mind.

One fan called for people close to the footballer to provide stronger support, arguing that he needs “well grounded people” around him who genuinely care about his personal growth.

Another supporter went further, claiming that Boniface was “mentally depressed”, although there is no confirmation from the player or his representatives that he is suffering from depression.

Boniface has endured a difficult period on the footballing front after establishing himself as one of the Super Eagles' standout performers.

His career suffered a major setback with a serious injury in 2025 that disrupted his loan spell at Werder Bremen. His return to Bayer Leverkusen has also proved challenging, with the striker omitted from the club's UEFA Europa League squad despite an encouraging pre-season.

Boniface has subsequently found himself behind Patrick Schick and Christian Kofane in the pecking order, adding another layer of uncertainty to his situation.

The 25-year-old also made headlines in 2025 after a mock retirement from international football, making his latest social media activity particularly intriguing for Nigerian supporters.

For now, the meaning behind Boniface's decision to erase his Instagram posts remains unclear. Fans can only hope that the cryptic message reflects a personal moment of reflection rather than a deeper problem.