Nigerian Athlete Faces 6-Year Ban For Doping

Divine Oduduru, Nigeria’s national record holder in the 200m, is likely to face a 6-year ban from competition by the Athletics Integrity Unit for two anti-doping breaches.

The sprinter, 26, joins Blessing Okagbare on the list of athletes revealed as Lira collaborators. Lira was charged with supplying performance-enhancing substances to athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics.

Oduduru has been charged with “possession and/or use or attempted use of various prohibited substances,” and faces a six-year ban.

This comes roughly a year after a similar case resulted in an 11-year term for former national team captain Blessing Okagbare.

The AIU has linked Oduduru to Okagbare’s infraction, which is reported to have occurred right before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with more details yet to be revealed.

Okagbare was banned for 11 years in 2022 after an AIU inquiry after she failed an out-of-competition drug test.

In the statement, AIU said Oduduru was identified as a suspect “based on the information in the complaint, including text conversations imaged from Okagbare’s mobile phone by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).”

It further stated that steps had been taken to give the Ughelli- born athlete a 6-year ban.

The statement reads, “The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has notified Divine Oduduru of two potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and is seeking a six-year ban against the Nigerian.

“The sprinter has been notified of potential ADRVs for possession (Rule 2.6 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules; ADR) and/or use or attempted use of multiple Prohibited Substances (Rule 2.2 ADR). He has been provisionally suspended immediately.

“These alleged violations stem from an AIU investigation based on information in a criminal charge brought against US-based ‘naturopathic’ therapist Eric Lira, on 12 January 2022, by the United States Department of Justice under the Rodchenkov Act.

“Lira is alleged to have supplied performance-enhancing drugs to athletes before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (delayed until summer 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic). The complaint against Lira provides specific information regarding persons identified as ‘Athlete 1’ and ‘Athlete 2’. In February 2022, a sole arbitrator of the AIU Disciplinary Tribunal concluded that they were ‘comfortably satisfied’ that ‘Athlete 1’ was Oduduru’s team-mate, Blessing Okagbare, and banned her from the sport for ten years, which was increased to an 11-year ban in June 2022 following further charges brought by the AIU.

“Based on the information in the complaint, including text conversations imaged from Okagbare’s mobile phone by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and further evidence obtained from the AIU investigation, the AIU alleges that Oduduru is ‘Athlete 2’ identified in the complaint.

“As the process is ongoing, the AIU will make no further comment on the matter at this time.”