Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Okorodudu, a former Nigerian pugilist, breathed his last on Wednesday evening at a private medical facility in Lawandon, Lagos. He had been confined to bed for weeks, grappling with a debilitating foot ulcer, until he ultimately surrendered to his ailment.
Okorodudu’s wife, Adenike, confirmed the news of his death.
However, Adenike mentioned that the hospital declined to release her husband’s remains until the pending medical invoice of N600,000 was paid.
‘He is dead now but we still need to pay N600,000 to get his body out of the hospital,’ Adenike said.
Okorodudu died at the aged of 64.
Reports surfaced earlier last week indicating that the Olympian’s health had improved subsequent to being transferred multiple times to different healthcare centers, primarily as a result of insufficient funding, prior to their admission at Lawanson Hospital.
Remi Aboderin, the President of the West Africa Boxing Union, and the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, also concurred on the Olympian’s unfortunate demise.
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‘It is true about his death. I just confirmed it after you called me and I reached out to some colleagues,’ Aboderin told The journalists.
‘It is unfortunate that he died this way, and I am actually lost for words. May his soul rest in peace,’ he said.
It was disclosed by Azania Omo-Agege, the Vice President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, during an interview with journalists, that he had transferred funds to his wife on Tuesday to cover the medical costs 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 noted.
Okorodudu participated in the middleweight category as Nigeria’s representative in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. He achieved a remarkable feat by securing a gold medal at the Oluyole 1979 National Sports Festival held in Ibadan.
In 2020, his health complications began when he encountered a painful boil that severely impaired his ability to move. However, he underwent a successful surgical procedure at Dans Hospital, located in Ikorodu, Lagos.
But his health condition relapsed after he was diagnosed with a foot ulcer and suffered a stroke.
However, his health took a turn for the worse when he experienced a relapse in his condition, after being diagnosed with a foot ulcer and enduring a stroke.
