Prince Bob Alagoro, a once-renowned Nigerian boxer, has found himself in a rather dicey situation that compelled him to speak out for help.
Bob Alagoro, who used to be one of Nigeria’s best in his prime, sadly is now homeless, despite years of representing the country and securing major titles across West Africa.
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @General_Somto, the former West African champion expressed deep frustration and sorrow, revealing that he currently squats in someoneโs home after being unable to afford rent, agency, and agreement fees.
This situation unfolds despite Alagoroโs dedicated career spanning nearly three decades as both a professional boxer and public servant.
Reflecting on his years of dominance in the ring, Alagoro said he devoted his life to boxing, only to end up in a state of neglect and shame.
โI started with amateur boxing. I was the Lagos State Amateur Champion. I represented Lagos in 1981 for the National Championship in Benin City and I won a gold medal to become Nigerian Amateur Champion,โ he said.
โI worked with NIPOST for 29 years before I retired. Iโm a pensioner. When NIPOST did their national championship in 1982 in Kaduna, I won gold again. After that, I tried for the Olympics in 1984 but lost my final chance to Jeremiah Okorodudu. I turned professional that same year.โ
โI represented Nigeria in Burkina Faso and became the West African champion. From that time till I quit boxing, I fought for 23 years in Nigeria, and no boxer defeated me except Lukman Saheed. But I came back stronger. I trained for three months in Imo State and knocked him out in the return fight at the National Stadium. That belt is the same one I have today,โ he said.
โBut I am squatting with someone. I donโt have a roof over my head. Sometimes, I have the full rent, but the agent and agreement fees stop me from getting a place. And before I can complete the fees, I have to touch the money I already kept (And by the time I finish raising the full amount, I will have already spent part of what I saved). Thatโs why Iโm still where I am.โ
“My family hates me because of the money I donated to the motherless babiesโ home. Where I live now, Iโm not happy. When I brought out my belt today, people were shocked. They asked how someone with such a belt could still be suffering. I was ashamed to even show it. I really need help.”
The disturbing video of Alagoro once again highlights a painful truth: many of Nigeriaโs past heroes now live in deeply deplorable conditions.
It raises a pressing question whether the Nigerian government, to which they once pledged unwavering loyalty, still remember or honour them in any meaningful way?
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