The crisis in the country’s amateur boxing has taken a new turn with the indefinite suspension of the Nigerian Boxing Federation’s (NBF) Vice President, Azania Omo-Agege, by the body for acts allegedly inimical to the interest of the country.

But as if taking a cue from the NBF, the International Boxing Association (IBA) in what seems as a retaliatory move, yesterday, suspended NBF President, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, for taking Nigeria into the new amateur body, World Boxing.

In a letter signed by NBF Secretary General, Akinyele Oladapo, the federation said Omo-Agege’s alleged impersonation of the federation’s president was confirmed by various African Boxing Federation presidents, adding that the vice president also embarrassed the body by writing unauthorised press releases to the IBA that embarrassed Nigeria.

The NBF said it arrived at the decision to suspend Omo-Agege at its board meeting of November 11.

In the statement suspending Omo-Agege, the NBF accused Omo-Agege of forging and printing letterhead of the federation without approval.

The statement read: “At no time has Azania Omo-Agege briefed or written any report on the outcome of meetings at AFBC and IBA for the action of the president.

“That you failed to utilise the opportunity provided by the board to reconcile you and the president at the last zoom meeting.

“That you constituted yourself as one man parallel body against the majority of the board, who affirmed the decision to join the World Boxing body as a step in the right direction for the growth of boxing.

“Your claim to IBA that president of Nigeria Boxing Federation, Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah, has ceased to be president according to the constitution is null and void as well as embarrassing.”

The NBF told Omo-Agege to withdraw the letter written to IBA on Nigeria, the suit against the world body, issue a press release denouncing the earlier release, write an apology to the NBF president, as well as board within 21 days.

But in a twist to the tale, IBA’s Boxing Independent Integrity Unit announced the suspension of NBF President, Minimah, for allegedly breaching the regulations made by the IBA board in accordance with its constitution.

The IBA charges against Minimah include “illegitimately leading NBF to affiliate and participate in another international boxing organization, as well as and against those who can be identified in the future with the investigation by the IPO.”

It accused Minimah of leading the NBF to “participate in another association that intends to govern amateur boxing worldwide and continued exercising the powers as a de facto president after the expiry of his term as the president of the Nigeria Boxing Federation.”

The IBA revealed that it got a letter from Omo-Agege on October 28, 2023 stating that Minimah’s tenure as NBF president has expired, inferring that Minimah’s decision to take Nigeria into World Boxing was null and void.