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Former Nigerian athletes have responded to the recent allegations of fraudulent activities by some Nigerian athletes.
Three Nigerian athletes are facing years in prison after being charged with engaging in fraudulent activities.
Mercy Abire, a long jumper from Nigeria, faces a significant 20-year prison sentence after confessing to a money-laundering plot.
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13:04 - 25.08.2023
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Raymond Ekevwo, the current men's 100-metre champion at the African Games, and Aniekeme Etimwere were the other two Nigerian athletes who were charged with wire and mail fraud in the US with Abire.
The US Attorney's Office reported that between November 2018 and April 2019, Abire used her US bank account to send over $100,000 to accomplices.
Between 2018 and 2022, Abire and her co-conspirators allegedly used online charity scams, online romance scams, and other types of fraud to defraud people of their money.
These allegations have led to ex-Nigerian athletes speaking up and making comments on the situation.
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Other Athletes react to the situation
Olympic silver medallist Falilat Ogunkoya, who has won two medals, told The PUNCH that only dishonest athletes would turn to criminality to make ends meet.
She said as reported by the Punch, “Why will an athlete that is a public figure do that? It’s very wrong.
“There is nothing that can push an athlete to do something that is wrong; an athlete needs to work very hard to get the rewards.
“I am sorry to say this, but I think she must be a little bit lazy with her work, that is why she was looking for an easy way out.
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20:27 - 25.08.2023
There are too many 'yahoo yahoo' athletes in Nigeria: AFN President laments
Tonobok Okowa, the president of the Nigerian Athletics Federation, has raised alarm over new allegations linking Nigerian athletes to fraudulent activity in the United States.
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12:03 - 25.08.2023
World Athletics Championships: Sports Minister Urges Tobi Amusan, Brume and Others to Bounce Back
The defending champion, Tobi Amusan lost her crown to 2015 champion Danielle Williams after finishing 6th in the final of the women’s 100M hurldes.
“Athletes like her need to learn from some of us who competed for Nigeria and made it through our hard work. I am very proud to say that I was a very clean athlete and one of the top athletes in Nigeria during my time.
“Few athletes are willing to put in that work now. When they work very hard, they will reap the results.”
Deli Aliu, who won the 100-metre gold medal at the 2003 African Games, suggested that Abire may have given in to social pressure.
Aliu said, “It is basically bad influence, Maybe she was influenced by peer pressure, and it is possible that she was not aware of the consequences of what she was led into, a lot of factors could have caused it.
“I know for certain she is not that kind of person. I knew her before she travelled, so, I know that kind of attitude was as a result of peer pressure or bad influence.”
The 47-year-old retired sprinter stated that if the organisation provided athletes with financial help, internet fraud could be avoided among them.
He said, “That kind of situation is beyond the AFN, they can only take care of things that happen on the tracks but I feel like they can still encourage the athletes by supporting them off the tracks.
“I think that will really curtail stuff like this, because some athletes will tell you they need money to prepare, they need money to do this, but I think if the federation can support the athlete year in, year out, that will help eradicate cases like this.”
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