By Uzor Odigbo
The World Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has officially explained the reasons Nigeria’s sprinter, Divine Oduduru, was given a six-year ban. He was said to have ordered a prohibited substance and attempted to use the prohibited substance or method.
A three-member disciplinary tribunal also ordered the Nigerian to pay World Athletics US$3000 towards its expenses regarding the case.
The panel found Oduduru guilty of Possession of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method under Rule 2.6 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) and of attempted use of a prohibited substance or a Prohibited Method (ADR 2.2), together treated as a single first violation.
The AIU says Oduduru received a mandatory four-year ban for the combined violation, with an additional two years for aggravating circumstances after the panel determined there was justification for increasing the period of ineligibility, due to the athlete having multiple nonspecified prohibited substances which he attempted to use in the lead-up to World Athletics’ competitions and the Tokyo Olympic Games (summer 2021).
“To procure those substances, Oduduru engaged in a scheme with his teammate, Blessing Okagbare who in her turn was procuring those substances on his behalf from a person who was illegally bringing them to the US to distribute among athletes to improve their sports performance, thus influencing unfairly the outcome of athletic competitions, including the major ones,” AIU said.
However, the Sapele, Delta State-born Divine Oduduru says he never asked Blessing Okagbare or any other person including Eric Lira to buy drugs for him.
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He claimed innocence of the two anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) and of possession of prohibited substances and the attempted use of a prohibited substance slammed against him by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
Oduduru has been banned for six years. He is also ordered to pay World Athletics US$3,000 towards its expenses regarding the case.
The AIU evidence was largely based on the conversation between Okagbare with Lira, where she seemed to be asking for drugs for Oduduru.
Oduduru insisted during the tribunal hearing that he had never asked anyone to buy drugs for him and that he disputed the contents of the witness statement of Mr. Victor Burgos (a member of the United States Anti Doping Agency). He claimed not to be a participant in the Okagbare, Lira messages exchange and that there was no evidence of use.
Oduduru, through his lawyer, said the ‘incriminating comments found in Ms Okagbare’s phone conversation with Mr Lira, were only relevant to her case because Ms Okagbare was part of the said phone conversation. Oduduru was not part of the conversation.
Oduduru also averred that during the periods that Ms. Okagbare allegedly had the said conversation with Lira that implicated him, he was tested severally
between 2019 and 2021, and all the results came out negative.
He was also subjected to several drug tests until February 2023 when he was provisionally suspended by World Athletics and all the results came out negative, which meant that he is clean and did not use any prohibited substance.
Oduduru also argued that the US charge and conviction of Lira was not based on any association or communication between Lira and him but on the findings of the US FBI agent who investigated Lira and found direct communication between Lira and Okagbare on one hand and between Lira and another Swiss Athlete on the other hand.
The conviction of Lira by way of a guilty plea is without doubt a result of his direct communication with both Okagbare and the Swiss Athlete.
In Okagbare and the Swiss athlete’s case, drug test results were positive and were linked directly to the drugs supplied to them by Lira.
But in Oduduru’s case, he did not have any communication with Lira and his drug test results were negative.