A wave of anger is sweeping through the Nigerian boxing community as the remains of late boxer Oluwasegun Olanrewaju have yet to be returned from Ghana, over 50 days after he passed away following a match at the Bukom Arena.
This lingering delay persists despite the recent submission of a final report by a seven-man panel investigating the incident to Ghana’s Minister for Sport and Recreation, Kofi Adams. However, the report has offered no indication of when the deceased’s body will be repatriated to Nigeria for burial.
“It’s as if the sports authorities don’t value Nigerian boxers,” lamented professional fighter Taiwo Esepo during an interview.
“He died fighting outside his country, and yet no one seems to be standing up for his family. Why aren’t our officials taking legal action or pushing back? This could happen to any of us, and it’s deeply discouraging.”
Olanrewaju, fondly called ‘Success’ in the boxing world, collapsed during a bout with Ghanaian opponent Jon Mbanugu at the Trust Sports Emporium in Bukom on March 29. He was later confirmed dead at Korle-Bu Hospital.
Idowu Rasheed, a fellow boxer and UBO champion who once fought Olanrewaju, described the incident as heartbreaking.
“I’ve faced him in the ring before, and his death really shook me,” Rasheed said. “At first, I thought about quitting boxing altogether. It’s painful that even after all this time, his body still hasn’t been brought back home. His family deserves the chance to see him one last time and lay him to rest.”
Secretary General of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC), Remi Aboderin, confirmed a meeting had been held on the issue earlier in the week but did not provide a concrete update on the return of the deceased’s remains.
Also weighing in on the matter, Commonwealth Games medalist Abdul-Afeez Osoba voiced his concern over the prolonged delay.
“Though I wasn’t very close to him, I still can’t believe this is taking so long,” Osoba said.
“I trust the NBBofC is in talks with the Ghana Boxing Authority, but from a religious standpoint, especially in Islam, he should have been buried immediately. It’s heartbreaking for the family. This situation is simply not acceptable.”
