Ajax, footballers support Tijjani Babangida after losing son, brother in accident

Former Super Eagles player, Tijjani Babangida, has said he will live with the trauma of losing his family in a car accident that happened early this year.

Babangida, his wife, son and younger brother were traveling along the Kaduna-Zaria highway when the unfortunate incident happened on May 9.

While his brother died on the spot, his son later succumbed to his injuries. His wife lost an eye and had to undergo facial surgery.

In a documentary released by his former football club, Ajax Amsterdam, Babangida said looking at photos of his son was difficult, adding that his wife struggles to remember anything about the boy.

“I think I will live with this trauma for the rest of my life. It is hard to forget about it and move on when you suddenly lose your entire family,” he said.

“It is even harder for my wife. She is an actress in Nigeria, famous in the northern part of the country. After being married a year, we had a baby. And suddenly, he is gone.”

He said he had to move to the Netherlands with his wife to get proper medical treatment.

“After three months in the Netherlands, I was finally able to tell her that our child was in the car when the accident took place. She asked me about his name. She can’t remember anything about him.”

Meanwhile, a crowdfunding account has been set up for the former winger, with his friends from football clubs like VVV-Venlo, Roda JC and Ajax showing support.

So far, €25,353 has been raised with a target of €170,000.