Maria Adebusola Olanrewaju, the widow of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, has publicly cried out over what she describes as neglect and family conflict following the boxer’s tragic death in Ghana.
Speaking to Sporty FM in Accra, Mrs Olanrewaju said she has yet to receive the $3,000 donation made by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to support her and her children.
“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 donated earlier this week, on June 17, when a delegation accompanied the boxer’s remains back to Nigeria, nearly three months after he died in a match against Ghanaian boxer John Mbanugu at Bukom Boxing Arena.
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Olanrewaju collapsed during the fight and was later pronounced dead at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. A post-mortem confirmed heart failure, later classified as cardiac arrest.
TRAGIC NEWS 😥 😔
A Nigerian boxer passed away during a bout last night.
He was fighting a Ghanaian boxer at the Bukom Arena when he fell. pic.twitter.com/ChS6X9pFkq— Nuhu Adams (@_NuhuAdams) March 30, 2025
Mrs Olanrewaju revealed that aside from the financial dispute, her late husband’s family barred her from performing customary rites and denied her and the children access during the burial ceremonies.
“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 added.
late Nigerian boxer Gabriel Olanrewaju,
The widow had previously raised concerns about being abandoned following the tragedy, highlighting a growing pattern in African sports where bereaved families are left without structured support or clarity over donations.
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The GBA had announced the $3,000 gift as a gesture of solidarity and support, acknowledging the dangerous nature of the sport and the need to stand by fallen athletes’ families.
But the dispute over the funds has now cast a shadow over the gesture, raising fresh questions about athlete welfare, next-of-kin protections, and estate planning in combat sports across West Africa.
Gabriel Olanrewaju, aged 28, had been competing professionally across West Africa and was seen as a rising figure in the regional boxing scene before his untimely passing.
