Olympian Okorodudu dies, Hospital Seizes Corpse over Unpaid N600,000

 

By Nurat Uthman

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 The PUNCH.

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 The PUNCH.

He was aged 64.

The PUNCH 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.

“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, reacting to the news said he sent the boxers wife some money on Tuesday for the hospital bills.

“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.