Tijani Babangida, who won a gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and serves as the President of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, was in a car accident on Thursday. The accident resulted in the death of his younger brother Ibrahim Babangida, as reported by The PUNCH.
Emmanuel Babayaro, a former teammate and the General Secretary of PFAN, made a statement about the incident.
The details of the accident on the Kaduna-Zaria Road are not clear at this time, as per our correspondent's information.
“Let's pray for our president, Tijani Babangida, who had a serious car accident on the Kaduna-Zaria Eoad.
Babangida's younger brother, Ibrahim Babangida, died at the scene of the accident, while Babangida and his family were taken to the hospital.
“Ibrahim Babangida’s soul Rest In Peace with God, amen,” he announced.
Babayaro confirmed the incident when contacted by our correspondent.
“Yes, it is true. The accident occurred as they were traveling from Kaduna to Zaria,” he said.
“His brother Babangida died at the scene of the accident. The accident happened today (Thursday) in the afternoon, and his wife was also involved.
“He is currently in Shika Hospital in Zaria and receiving treatment. Thankfully, he is conscious,” he added.
The late Ibrahim, aged 47, was a retired footballer and a member of the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning Golden Eagles squad in Japan.
He played for local teams such as Bank of The North, Stationery Stores, and Katsina United before moving to Dutch side Volendam in 1997.
