By Joy Musa
A storm of controversy has erupted around President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media, Sunday Dare, after Nigerian boxing legend Bash Ali publicly accused him and other top government officials of misappropriating $12 million earmarked for a Guinness World Record Boxing Championship.
In a passionate open letter addressed to President Tinubu, Bash Ali alleged that the Federal Government received $12 million in advance to host the international boxing spectacle — a project aimed at placing Nigeria on the global sports map — but failed to deliver due to widespread corruption and extortion by key officials.
Ali, a World Boxing Federation (WBF) Cruiserweight Champion, named Sunday Dare — a former Minister of Sports and current Presidential Media Adviser — alongside Barrister D.A. Muhammad of the defunct Ministry of Sports Development, and current Minister of State for Trade and Investment, John Enoh. He claimed these officials sabotaged the project by soliciting bribes and mismanaging funds.
According to Ali, he personally paid N13 million to some of the named officials under the guise of administrative procedures and received a separate demand from Minister Enoh for an additional $1 million before the project was unceremoniously abandoned.
“The only event in sport in Nigeria that will, apart from MONEY, bring honour and glory is the Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight, but CORRUPTION has stalled it,” Ali wrote.
Ali revealed that the fight, which would have been the first of its kind outside the United States, had already gained the support of 132 countries and was projected to become the most-watched Pay-Per-View event in sports history. He stated that the championship had the potential to generate massive tourism and economic benefits for Nigeria.
Despite having met with President Tinubu on several occasions to push for the revival of the project, Ali lamented that no meaningful action had been taken. He added that the government had previously formed three different Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) over two decades, most recently in 2019, but none succeeded due to persistent corruption by those in power.
In his letter, Ali made three direct demands of President Tinubu:
1. Immediate re-launch of the Bash Ali Boxing Project LOC.
2. A full investigation into the actions of the officials named.
3. A refund of all money collected under false pretenses.
“Mr. President Sir, after the FGN has collected an advance of USD 12M and extorted millions of Naira from me… I still refused to give up on my country, Nigeria. I want to fight in my country, Nigeria — so help me, please,” the boxer pleaded.
As of press time, none of the accused officials have publicly responded to the allegations.
The presidency is yet to issue an official statement regarding the claims, but the letter has ignited public calls for accountability and a thorough investigation into what many are calling a stain on Nigeria’s global sporting image.
