Former Super Eagles player, Tijjani Babangida, narrowly escaped death in a car crash on Thursday.
Sadly, his younger brother, Ibrahim Babangida, lost his life in the accident, Beyond Boders learned.
Tijjani who won a gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, crashed into a moving trailer on the Kaduna-Zaria Road while driving.
Emmanuel Babayaro, the General Secretary of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), confirmed the incident, urging everyone to pray for Tijjani’s recovery and offering condolences for Ibrahim’s passing.
“Yes, it is true. The accident happened while they were on their way to Zaria from Kaduna,” Babayaro said.
“His brother Babangida died on the spot from the accident. The accident happened today (Thursday) this afternoon and his wife was also involved in the accident. He is currently admitted at Shika Hospital in Zaria, where he is receiving treatment and to the glory of God he is conscious.”
Ibrahim Babangida, aged 47, had a notable career in football, including being part of the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning Golden Eagles squad in Japan.
He played for local teams like Bank of The North, Stationery Stores, and Katsina United, before joining Dutch side Volendam in 1997.
Shehu Abdullahi, the Kaduna State Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), corroborated the incident, stating, “It is true, he was driving and ran into a trailer according to an eyewitness, losing his brother with himself and others in board sustaining varying degrees of injuries.”
