Kazeem Owoseni
An ex-Nigerian boxer, Jeremiah Okorodudu, known as ‘Jerry’ Okorodudu is dead.
The sixty-four-year-old boxer died at a private hospital in Lawanson, Surulere area of Lagos, on Wednesday night.
The family of the ex-boxer who struggled with a foot ulcer which confined him to his bed for several weeks, recently solicited financial support for him, before his demise.
The wife of the deceased, Adenike who confirmed his demise in a chat with Punch, revealed that the hospital is still holding on to her late husband’s body because of an unpaid medical bill of N600,000.
“He is dead now but we still need to pay N600,000 to get his body out of the hospital,” she said.
Reacting to the news of his death, the Secretary-General of Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, and the President of West Africa Boxing Union, Remi Aboderin expressed regret about his demise while sending condolences on hearing the news.
“It is true about his death. I just confirmed it after you called me and I reached out to some colleagues.
“Unfortunately, he died this way, and I am lost for words. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
Similarly, the Vice President of Nigeria Boxing Federation, Azania Omo-Agege in a chat with the media, said that he sent his wife some money on Tuesday for the hospital bills of the former boxer.
“I just sent them money yesterday (Tuesday). I sent them N100,000 and we were planning for the amputation of his leg on Friday, this is very sad,” he stated.
The celebrated athlete who represented Nigeria in the middleweight category at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, started with his health crisis in 2020, with a boil affliction that impacted his mobility, leading to surgery.
However, his condition worsened after being diagnosed with a foot ulcer and stroke.
The late Athlete was also a gold medalist at the Oluyole 1979 National Sports Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State.
