Emma Jemegah
It was another black Sunday for the Nigeria Professional Football League and Nigerian football in particular, as another player was confirmed dead.
Coming barely two weeks after Nasarawa United player, Chineme Martins died on the turf, this time it a ghastly accident that claimed the life of Rangers International of Enugu striker, Ifeanyi George.
The 26-year-old striker left the camp after the club management declared holiday in company of other players on their way to Lagos, but somewhere in Abudu, the border town between Delta and Edo State, the car George was driving allegedly ran into a stationery truck and the player was said to have died immediately with two others.
According to a statement from the media officer of Rangers, Nobert Okolie, he said the accident happened at Owan Village, after Abudu and George, a feeder player of Rangers, who joined the team this year, Emmanuel Ogbuh, as well as a friend based in Calabar, Eteka Gabriel, who joined in the ill-fated ride to Lagos.
Okolie added that after preliminary medical examination, the late George was confirmed to have multiple fractures, while the bodies had been deposited at Aigbogun Clinic and Maternity morgue in Abudu.
“We lost Ifeanyi George this morning. The club will soon come up with a statement soon,” Rangers wrote on their official twitter handle Sunday morning.
Another sad news had it that Enyimba International of Aba player, Dayo Ojo was kidnapped along Akure road in Ondo State.
According to Emma James, who was in the car with them, Ojo was driving when some gunmen waylaid them on the road at Itele, close to Owo.
“I managed to escape, but the gunmen took Ojo and another player, Benjamin Iluyomade of Abia Warriors, but left the car. Right now I’m at Ipele Police Station,” James told Daily SunSports yesterday.