Former Nigerian boxer and 1984 Olympian Jeremiah Okorodudu died on Wednesday, 28 June, at a private hospital in Surulere at the age of 64 after battling a foot ulcer
His wife Adenike Okorodudu confirmed his death.
According to Adenike, the deceased’s wife, the boxer had battled a partial stroke and diabetes for the last two years before he died just before a scheduled surgery to amputate his leg.
“Jerry really suffered. For the past two years, he had partial stroke and diabetes.”
“His leg was supposed to have been amputated on Saturday, but he gave up the ghost this night at the hospital we took him to in Lawanson in Surulere.
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
Last week 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.
“It is true about his death. I just confirmed it after you called me and I reached out to some colleagues,” Aboderin.
“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, during his prime as a boxer, represented Nigeria at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where he competed in the middleweight category. But earlier in 1982, he won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia.
Okorodudu also won gold 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
Godwin Enakhena, the coordinator of the group, said FUBS raised the money needed for the release of the corpse within minutes of hearing the news of his death.
“We were supposed to raise the money for the operation, but we got the information too late and it’s quite unfortunate,”
“When we heard that he died yesterday (Wednesday) night, we quickly raised the money needed within five minutes and we paid the sum of N600,000 directly into the hospital’s account number for the release of his corpse to his wife,” Enakhena said.
