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A private hospital in Lagos has refused to release the corpse of former Nigerian boxer Jerry Okorodudu, who died on Wednesday, June 28 at age 64 over unpaid medical bill.
Okorodudu died after battling foot ulcer and stroke at hospital in Lawanson.
Before his demise, there were reports that Okorodudu was not able to meet up with medical bills, which affected his treatment.
On Thursday, June 22, the ex-boxer’s wife, Atinuke, disclosed that Okorodudu was owing the hospital. She said the hospital demanded the immediate payment of N1 million medical bill, failing which the patient would be thrown out before weekend.
However, Atinuke did not disclose the name of the hospital, saying the proprietor had warned her not to give out the information.
Confirming Okorodudu’s death, a Nigerian sports journalist, Raymond Akparhuere of Eagle 7 Sports Radio, who is close to the ailing ex-boxer said the Olympian boxer died on Wednesday afternoon.
“He died this afternoon (Wednesday), they could not pay the money for his medical bill,” Akparhuere said.
Asked if he had heard from Atinuke, he said: “It is still fresh, I can’t call her.”
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 ’79 National Sports Festival in Ibadan.
His medical predicament began in 2020 with a boil that affected his mobility. He then had a successful surgery at Dans Hospital, Irawo, Ikorodu, Lagos.
But his health condition relapsed after he was diagnosed of foot ulcer and suffered a stroke.