The Youths and Sports Development ministry have come out to debunk reports that Nigerian Chess player, Oladapo Adu has been stranded and left alone for 11 weeks in the Ivory Coast.
Adu had represented Nigeria at the Zone 4.2 individual seven nation chess competition where he finished second.
In an interview with Sports247 this morning, the Special Adviser on media to the Youth and Sports development Minister, John-Joshua Akanji said “Adu’s case is like that of every other Nigerian unable to return to the country” due to the pandemic.
“Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri has spoken to Nigerian embassy in Ivory Coast and he has been registered among those to be airlifted to the country but the airlifting is batch by batch.” He added.
Akanji further explained to Sports247 that S.A to the Sports Minister, Mary Onyali had also come in to help.
“S.A to the Sports Minister, Mary Onyali had also contacted people in Abidjan to on behalf of the ministry give Adu some financial support to enable him feed well, before he is airlifted back to the country.”
Adu could not connect a flight from Freetown to Lagos following the outbreak of the pandemic.
While attempting to travel to Lagos by road, he was denied access into Ghana at the Ivory Coast-Ghana border, due to border closure and has been in Abidjan for 11 weeks.
