The body of a once popular Nigerian boxer, Jeremiah Okorodudu, has been seized by a private hospital in Lawanson, Lagos, where he died on Wednesday night, June 28, after battling a foot ulcer that left him bedridden for weeks.
Okorodudu represented Nigeria at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, among other competitions.
His wife, Adenike told The Punch that the hospital is not willing to release her husband’s corpse until the outstanding bill of N600,000 incurred by the late boxer is paid.
She said “He is dead now but we still need to pay N600,000 to get his body out of the hospital.”
Okorodudu’s health challenges began in 2020 with a boil affliction that affected his mobility. He then had a successful surgery at Dans Hospital, Ikorodu, Lagos. His health relapsed after he was diagnosed with foot ulcer and suffered a stroke.
Vice President, Nigeria Boxing Federation, Azania Omo-Agege, who confirmed the boxer’s death had also disclosed that he sent Okorodudu’s wife some money on Tuesday, June 27, for his hospital bill.
Agege said:
“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.”
Okorodudu was a gold medallist at the Oluyole 1979 National Sports Festival in Ibadan.
