The Middle East was more than just a warzone—it was an intricate game of power, and Michael Ogunlade was its undisputed master. No one knew how deeply he was entrenched in the region's covert operations, not even the most seasoned intelligence officers. The line between friend and foe blurred, and Michael expertly played both sides, making sure no one had the full picture.
His relationship with Israeli intelligence, particularly Mossad, had blossomed into a partnership marked by a perfect balance of mutual benefit and calculated distrust. Israel had always been wary of Saudi Arabia's rise, but Michael's destabilization of the Saudi-Iran rivalry had given them more than just a strategic edge. It had given them power.
Mossad saw Michael as a golden asset, his ability to manipulate factions and sow chaos a means of shifting power in the region in Israel's favor. But even as they congratulated him, they were blind to how expertly he maneuvered them. Michael had infiltrated their circles, cementing himself not just as a trusted ally, but as a shadow within their ranks. Through him, Mossad gathered vital intel on the Iranian-backed militias in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, but what they didn't know was that he was the one supplying those very same militias with information—ensuring that their retaliatory strikes would leave behind far more collateral damage than was necessary.
Through Israel, Michael opened doors into Western intelligence circles. He had frequent back-channel communications with the CIA's regional coordinator in Jordan. Their meetings were simple: high-end cafes, discreet handshakes, cryptic messages, all designed to give the appearance of cooperation. But Michael's role in these talks was always more intricate than what was being presented. Each time the CIA requested his help on a mission, he made sure they were unknowingly helping Nigeria's long-term goals. He gave them information—certainly—but it always came with strings attached.
And when the Russians came knocking? He knew they would. Russia had their hand in the Middle East, working both with and against Iran depending on the day. But Michael had a way of getting them to align with his own interests. Through Syria's tangled webs, he brokered quiet, discreet deals that served Russian and Nigerian aims in equal measure. The intelligence that flowed from Moscow was invaluable—counterintelligence, missile tech, even military advisors willing to play dirty. They didn't know they were working for Michael, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that they did.
While the West and Russia were distracted by the ongoing fight for dominance, Michael's real masterpiece lay in his covert destabilization of the region. As Israel struck targets in Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon, Michael made sure the consequences of their actions were felt far and wide, pushing the boundaries of their mission. The attacks in Syria, the assassination of key Iranian figures, and the sabotage of Saudi oil pipelines—they were all part of his intricate web.
Michael had orchestrated a small war within a war, a delicate dance that kept both Saudi Arabia and Iran fighting each other and destabilizing their own positions. The Saudis, desperate for any edge in their war with Tehran, swallowed the bait. He fed them intelligence on how to strike at Iran's proxies in Yemen—operations so clean, so precise, that they looked like Mossad handiwork. But that's not what it was. It was Michael's work.
In exchange for the cooperation of the Saudis, Michael orchestrated attacks on Saudi oil installations—attacks that were just large enough to make international headlines and send oil prices spiraling. The world watched in awe as Saudi Arabia scrambled to recover from an economic blow it could ill afford. Michael saw this as an opportunity for Nigeria to step in, subtly profiting from the surging oil prices. Behind the scenes, Nigeria's newfound power in the Middle East was quietly being cemented.
Yet, Michael's influence wasn't limited to just oil wars. He used covert influence to destroy terrorist groups that had been funded by Iran. He seeded these factions with disinformation, then let them tear each other apart. But he wasn't just eliminating them—he was weaving his own narrative. He fed the right people the right information at the right time. Leaked documents. Corrupted intelligence. A carefully planted rumor here, a manipulated attack there.
He used one faction's hatred of another to pit them against each other, ensuring their mutual destruction. Meanwhile, he would supply intelligence to the West—CIA, MI6, even the French—assisting them in their raids on Iranian-backed militias and ISIS remnants. But each strike that was made, every missile launched in the name of justice, Michael ensured that the blowback would be more than they anticipated. Each raid came with an unintended consequence that favored his ultimate goal.
And then, the masterstroke: He began blackmailing. He found a way to infiltrate Iraq's political infrastructure, targeting the most vulnerable. A video surfaced—a private recording of a prominent Iraqi politician in an illicit relationship. Michael didn't stop at merely exposing the video. He leveraged it. The politician's influence was dismantled as his career crumbled under the weight of his personal scandal. The man did Michael's bidding, signing off on policies that favored Nigeria's covert ambitions in Iraq.
At the same time, Michael leaked sensitive Israeli intelligence to Iran, triggering a wave of retaliatory attacks against Israeli bases in the region. His involvement was never traced, but the chaos was his signature. Israel, desperate for payback, would strike back—giving Michael the perfect cover to align the West and Israel, making them focus their resources on Iran's retaliation rather than the true culprit.
But Michael wasn't done. He was playing a longer game—one that stretched far beyond just Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. He had a plan that involved his true objective: destabilizing the very foundations of the region's power structures. Whether it was through economic manipulation, intelligence leaks, or blackmail, he was creating a fog of war so thick that no one could see who was truly pulling the strings.
And when the dust settled, the Middle East would no longer be under the control of Iran, Israel, or Saudi Arabia. It would belong to whoever controlled the shadows—and that, as Michael knew, was him.
Operation Sand Scorpion was just the beginning.
The world would never know who truly controlled the game. They wouldn't know that Nigeria, with Michael at the helm, was the one pulling the strings behind every covert operation, every alliance, every betrayal. But Michael wasn't concerned with the world's perception. His power lay in secrecy—and he would continue to build it, one covert operation at a time.