Maria Adebusola Olanrewaju, widow of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, has revealed that she has not received the $3,000 donated by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to support her family following her husband’s tragic passing.
In an emotional interview with Sporty FM in Accra, Mrs. Olanrewaju expressed frustration over ongoing disputes with her late husband’s family regarding the money. “The family members of my husband are fighting over the $3,000 donated by the entourage from Ghana. The money is yet to be given to me,” she said.
The GBA delegation made the donation when they returned the boxer’s remains to his family in Nigeria after his sudden death during a bout at Ghana’s Bukom Boxing Arena. The autopsy report later confirmed that Olanrewaju died of cardiac arrest.
Adding to her grievances, Mrs. Olanrewaju disclosed that her husband’s family barred her and her children from performing traditional rites or gaining access to his remains upon arrival.
“Immediately we received my husband’s body, his family did not allow me to perform my rites. They did not give me and the children access,” she lamented.
The late Nigerian boxer, who collapsed in the ring during a fight with Ghanaian opponent John Mbanugu, left behind a grieving widow and children facing financial and emotional struggles.
The revelations have sparked conversations about the need for proper support systems for the families of deceased athletes and more transparent management of donations in such circumstances.
