by Fashikun Olajide
The man who was alleged to have been arrested about 6pm last week Wednesday in one of the offices at the U. J. Esuene stadium in Calabar during Nigeria’s athletics Olympics trials is touted according to the AFN: “Most of the Nigerian athletes who have tested positive have always mentioned his name and we have been searching for him for years,” Dr Ken Anugweje said.
Anukwuje, the current NUGA Chairman is also of the Medical Committee of AFN.
The suspect’s name was given as simply Chimezie by one of the athletes who just tested positive to steroid in AFN’s Golden League in Warri three weeks ago.
Dr. Anukwueje has recalled that many of Nigerian athletes who tested positive to doping fingered him and said he always told them he was administering vitamins and that they would never be caught.
“This man is like spirit. Anytime we close up on him he disappears. He comes for almost all athletics events but he ran out of luck this time around. IAAF will be happy that we have made this catch,” AFN President Solomon Ogba said.
”What I saw in the man’s bag was unbelievable. I found drugs I have never seen in my life, the types I only read about in books and on internet,” Dr. Anukweje said, adding “he is well equipped with laptop which contains a lot of information. I’m happy the police took the laptop and his phone because particulars of his clients will be there.”
The man is said to own a chemist shop in Mushin, Lagos.
Certain questions remains to be asked. What has been the link of this man to athletics? Does he not have his hands inside the sport? Dr. Ken Anukweje should go back to some of the official reports he had written the federation some years back, what name is known popularly with the athletes caught in the drug web who presently is one of their coaches?
A small criminal is being made into a giant to probably close their own favourite who is globally known amongst the Nigerian community of athletes and officials as the major drug courier. Is this chemist now caught the same one who goes abroad to administer the same drugs to our athletes? Many more questions. This is not the man we are waiting for surely. The truth is still being hidden.
