Oluwasegun Success during the bout that led to his death
About 50 days after the tragic death of Nigerian boxer Oluwasegun Success Olanrewaju, frustration continues to mount over the delay in repatriating his body from Ghana to Nigeria.
The 26-year-old collapsed during a bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on March 29, 2025, and was later pronounced dead at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
Despite the completion of investigations and submission of official reports, his body has remained in Ghana, sparking outrage from his family, fellow athletes, and boxing authorities.
President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo, expressed disappointment in an interview with Sporty FM. He has questioned the delay and its emotional toll on the deceased’s family.
“Segun Olanrewaju has a family, a wife and children. Look at the mental torture they’re going through. If this had happened to a Ghanaian boxer in Nigeria, what would Ghanaians say? How can you keep a Nigerian boxer’s body in Ghana for two months? This is unacceptable. It is the responsibility of the Ghana Boxing Authority and the Ghanaian government to return his body home,” he stated.
Dr. Oladipo also revealed that he intervened to stop a planned protest by Olanrewaju’s relatives at the Ghanaian Embassy in Germany just days ago, urging restraint in hopes of a resolution.
“I stopped a protest that was going to be held yesterday in Germany by Segun Olanrewaju’s family members. They were going to protest at the Ghana Embassy in Germany,” he added.
Olanrewaju’s tragic death sent shockwaves through the boxing community, prompting Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, to commission a seven-member committee whose findings were submitted to him over a week ago.
Although the minister praised the committee’s work and promised reforms, no concrete date has been given for the repatriation.
The late boxer’s mother has also pleaded for closure, recalling that the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control initially assured the family of a 21-day repatriation window.
That deadline has long passed, and her grief continues to deepen without the chance to bury her son.
Fellow Nigerian boxers have condemned the delay, calling it a disgrace to African sports unity.
The Ghanaian Sports Ministry, while promising to implement reforms based on the committee’s report, has yet to offer an update on the exact timeline for repatriation.
FKA/EB
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