Reports reaching the desk of Africa Today News, New York has it that a former Nigerian boxer, Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Okorodudu, last night passed on at a private hospital in Lawandon, Lagos after his long-fought battle with a foot ulcer that left him bedridden for many weeks.
Okorodudu’s wife, Adenike, confirmed the sad news on Thursday morning.
However, Adenike pointed out that the hospital was refusing to release her husband’s corpse until the outstanding N600,000 medical bill is paid.
‘He is dead now but we still need to pay N600,000 to get his body out of the hospital,’ Adenike revealed.
The retired boxer was aged 64.
Africa Today News, New York had last week reported last week that the Olympian was feeling better following several transfers from different hospitals, mainly due to lack of funds, before he was brought to the Lawanson hospital.
Secretary-General, Nigeria Boxing Board of Control and the President, West Africa Boxing Union, Remi Aboderin, also confirmed that the Olympian had passed away.
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‘It is true about his death. I just confirmed it after you called me and I reached out to some colleagues,’ Aboderin told reporters.
‘It is unfortunate that he died this way, and I am actually lost for words. May his soul rest in peace,’ he said.
The Vice President, Nigeria Boxing Federation, Azania Omo-Agege, told reporters 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 said.
Recall that Okorodudu represented Nigeria at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, where he competed in the middleweight category.
He was a gold medallist at the Oluyole 1979 National Sports Festival in Ibadan.
His medical predicament began in 2020 with a boil affliction that affected his mobility. He then had a successful surgery at Dans Hospital, Ikorodu, Lagos.
But his health condition relapsed after he was diagnosed with foot ulcer and suffered a stroke.