Former Nigerian boxer, Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Okorodudu, died at a private hospital in Lawandon, Lagos on Wednesday night after struggling with foot ulcer that left him bedridden for weeks.
Adenike Okorodudu, Okorodudu’s wife, confirmed his death.
However, Adenike stated that the hospital refused to release her husband’s body until the outstanding N600,000 medical bill was paid.
“He is now dead, but we still need to pay N600,000 to get his body out of the hospital,” Adenike explained.
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, 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.