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Former Olympian Boxer, Jeremiah Okorodudu Dies at 64

Former Nigerian boxer, Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Okorodudu, died at a private  hospital in Lawandon, Lagos on Wednesday night after battling with foot ulcer that left him bedridden for weeks.

Okorodudu’s wife, Adenike, confirmed the news of his death to newsmen.

However, Adenike said the hospital was not willing 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 told newsmen.

He was aged 64.

Last week, it was reported that the Olympian was feeling better after many transfers from different hospitals, primarily due to a shortage of funding, before being taken to the Lawanson hospital.

Remi Aboderin, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control and President of the West African Boxing Union, also confirmed the Olympian’s death.

“It is true about his death. I just confirmed it after you called me and I reached out to some colleagues,” Aboderin said.

“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, 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 said.

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.

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