Sports
Nigeria Awaits Late Boxer Olanrewaju’s Body
Olanrewaju, popularly known as “Success,” collapsed in the ring during a fight with Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu on 29 March at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra.
The remains of Nigerian boxer Segun Olanrewaju, who tragically died during a bout in Ghana, are expected to be returned to Nigeria next week, following nearly two months of legal, diplomatic, and procedural efforts.
Olanrewaju, popularly known as “Success,” collapsed in the ring during a fight with Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu on 29 March at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra.
He was later pronounced dead at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
His death triggered an outpouring of grief in Nigeria and ignited scrutiny over safety protocols in Ghana’s boxing scene.
In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Rafiu Ladipo, confirmed that the long-awaited repatriation of Olanrewaju’s body is now imminent.
“I can assure you, latest by next week, the body will be brought back. I don’t know what particular day,” Mr Ladipo said during a phone interview.
Mr Ladipo detailed the intense efforts by Nigerian authorities to ensure Olanrewaju’s remains are returned with dignity.
According to him, the NBB of C has worked closely with the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and the Ghanaian Ministry of Youth and Sports to meet all necessary conditions.
“The Nigeria Boxing Board of Control has been doing so much to bring Segun’s corpse,” he explained.
Mr Ladipo revealed that the delay was largely due to delayed medical clearances and paperwork, including an autopsy report, a gross pathology analysis, and a death certificate.
These were required by both Ghanaian and Nigerian authorities before any repatriation could be approved.
“There are certain documents that they needed before they can bring it… I personally went to the Ministry of Health in Lagos, and we have been able to get their approval and permit from the Federal Ministry of Health that the body should be brought back home,” he stated.
Allegations of negligence
Mr Ladipo was also outspoken about the role of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) in the tragic incident, alleging negligence in the medical preparations leading up to the fight.
“After the fight, we accused the Ghana Boxing Authority of negligence… the drug screening, the weighing, and the pre-fight medical were not done for him,” Mr Ladipo said.
“They just sent him to go and fight. This is never done.”
The Ghanaian government established a seven-member investigative committee in response to these accusations.
Mr Ladipo and officials from the NBB of C were subjected to a series of lengthy interviews by the committee to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the bout.
“I showed them the video of what we normally do in Nigeria… you must conduct what is called pre-fight checks — check his lungs, heartbeat, eyes, nose, and so on. If you don’t do it, how are you sure that the guy is fit?” Mr Ladipo questioned.
The investigative committee’s report later confirmed that Olanrewaju had not undergone the required pre-fight medicals and that no licensed medical professional was present during the match. It also revealed that he had a pre-existing heart condition, making the oversight particularly alarming.
Ghanaian authorities respond
Following the outcry, Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Kofi Adams, acknowledged the delays but assured the public that all legal protocols have now been completed.
“The body was not detained for no reason. The Coroner’s Act was invoked, and the report was needed to carry on with the evacuation process,” Mr Adams explained.
He confirmed that Ghana is now fully cooperating with Nigerian authorities to facilitate the return of the body, with assistance from both countries’ boxing boards and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
“Once they confirm the arrangements, we are ready to assist in any way possible,” Mr Adams said.
Honouring a fallen fighter
Mr Ladipo emphasised that the NBB of C intends to honour the late boxer upon his return.
“They must come, give us adequate information so that from our end here, we will do what is called the memorable lap of honour,” he said.
He added that logistical arrangements are being finalised, including providing an ambulance to transfer the body directly from the airport to Olanrewaju’s family, avoiding further delays or additional transfers.
“We don’t want a situation whereby we take the body again to another mortuary in Nigeria. Let them tell us when they are bringing the corpse so that we can make adequate arrangements for receipt and burial,” Mr Ladipo said.
Calls for compensation
Discussions are also underway regarding compensation for the late boxer’s family. While no official figure has been disclosed, Mr Ladipo confirmed that compensation is part of ongoing negotiations.
“Of course, everything to Ghana — they are trying to compensate. We don’t know how much they will pay. Even if the fight purse is there to be paid, we have requested,” he said.
Looking ahead
The tragedy has prompted calls for stricter oversight and mandatory safety protocols across African boxing federations.
As investigations conclude and Olanrewaju’s body is prepared for return, attention now turns to ensuring justice for his family and preventing such a loss from happening again.
“We are not just playing around,” Mr Ladipo said. “We know our responsibilities, and we are doing the best we can in this circumstance.”
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Sports
Sunderland 0-5 Nott’m Forest: Taiwo Awoniyi Assists, Ola Aina Sturdy In Resounding Tricky Trees Win
Super Eagles stars Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina shone for Nottingham Forest in their ruthless 5-0 drubbing of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Friday.
The two Super Eagles stars continued their club’s fight against relegation in a tricky tie against the Black Cats, who held the home advantage.
Awoniyi started on the bench, as coach Vitor Pereira opted for a two-pronged frontline featuring Igor Jesus and Chris Wood. However, Aina retained his place in the starting XI, lining up at right-back.
The game was expected to be a real cracker, given Sunderland’s brilliant form in the Premier League this year. While Nottingham Forest have picked up the pace recently, they still have significant work to do to avoid relegation from the English top flight.
However, the match turned out to be a whitewash. By the 37th minute, the Black Cats were already four goals down, courtesy of strikes from Igor Jesus, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood, alongside an own goal from Trai Hume.
Aina was superb in the first half. He remained rock-solid defensively and successfully kept the Sunderland attackers at bay.
In the second half, the home team picked up the pace slightly as Nottingham Forest shifted into game-management mode. In the 61st minute, Sunderland thought they had pulled one back after Daniel Ballard put the ball in the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Awoniyi was introduced in the 88th minute, replacing Wood. The Super Eagles star looked very lively upon his introduction and provided the assist for Nottingham Forest’s fifth goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time. He played a clever pass to Elliot Anderson in the box, and the Englishman finished with aplomb to complete the 5-0 rout.
Aina did not record a goal or an assist, but he was excellent throughout the night. He finished with an impressive nine defensive contributions, 70 percent passing accuracy, and 56 touches.
Following Nottingham Forest’s 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Friday, the Trickey Trees have almost confirmed their place in the Premier League next season.
They have been serious candidates for the drop. But with this win, they have now climbed to 16th on the table, eight points above the relegation zone, albeit they have played one more game than the teams below them asides from Burnley.
With four games left in the survival push, the Tricky Trees will need to win two of their games at most to be sure that they will play Premier League football next season.
Their two Super Eagles stars have proven to be key this season, with Aina often shining at the back, while Awoniyi regularly gets off the bench to close games. They will be hoping to continue that run soon.
Bayern Munich have escaped a supporter lockout but were hit with a sizeable fine from UEFA after photographers were injured when fans spilled over barriers during their Champions League quarter-final win over Real Madrid.
The incident happened earlier this month at the Allianz Arena as Bayern scored twice in the closing moments of the second leg to book a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
In the aftermath of the dramatic finish, supporters from the club’s ultras section climbed over pitch-side barriers while celebrating and ran across the perimeter area, trampling several photographers.
One photographer suffered concussion while another sustained a head laceration. Several others required medical attention following the chaos.
UEFA confirmed Bayern would pay a total fine of 89,625 euros. The sanction includes 40,000 euros for spectator disturbances, 30,000 euros for a fan banner critical of UEFA, 14,000 euros for blocked aisles and 5,625 euros for the throwing of objects.
The German champions had faced the prospect of a partial stadium closure for the second leg of their semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, but the punishment stopped short of a supporter ban.
Sporting director Christoph Freund had expressed confidence the match would still be played in front of a full crowd before the ruling.
“We expect to be able to celebrate a football festival with a full stadium against Paris,” Freund said.
Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma will fight again on 25 July at London’s O2 Arena, with his opponent still to be confirmed following last month’s emphatic win over Jermaine Franklin.
Daily Voice News reports that Moses Itauma, 21, moved to 14 wins from 14 bouts, including 12 knockouts, with his March victory. Itauma became the first fighter to knockout Franklin, who had previously gone the distance with Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. The performance prompted the WBO to name him mandatory challenger for its heavyweight title.
Focus now shifts to the division’s title picture. WBO champion Fabio Wardley is due to defend his belt against Daniel Dubois on 9 May, a bout that could shape Itauma’s next move.
“If Fabio wins then it’ll be sticky but if Dubois wins, then that fight makes sense,” Itauma said, according to Sky Sports.
Wardley and Dubois were ringside for Itauma’s win over Franklin, and the rising contender believes he made an impression.
“I don’t think they’re worried. I think they’re both like ‘Oh! This guy’s in my division,’” he said. “I think deep inside they probably both had the same reaction. I think Fabio managed to, I guess, hide it a bit better.”
Despite holding mandatory status, Itauma is unlikely to face the Wardley-Dubois winner immediately. The victor is expected to pursue a fight with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. A strong showing in July against a higher-ranked opponent could still push Itauma closer to a world title shot.
Possible opponents for the O2 Arena card are expected to include established names capable of topping a major bill. British champion Richard Riakporhe has been mentioned as one potential option.
The cruiserweight holds a 20-1 record with 16 knockouts and has won his last three fights inside five rounds since his lone defeat at world level to Chris Billam-Smith.
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