Bash Ali bashed by Minister’s security detail

Bashiru Lawrence Ali, popularly known as Bash Ali, caused a stir on Thursday in Abuja as he accosted President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a bid to challenge for the world cruiser-weight title in Nigeria.

Ali, 57, is seeking to become the oldest man to hold a world boxing title defence. Ali had earlier taken his campaign to have his defence staged in Nigeria to PDP’s headquarters in Abuja on May 20, but he was not allowed in.


Bash Ali is seeking to become the oldest person to hold a world boxing title.

On Thursday, he jostled to see President Jonathan who was at the Abuja National Stadium to inaugurate ‘Rhythm ‘N’ Play, a campaign to get all Nigerian youths engaged in sporting activities.

Ali scuffled with the President’s aides, which duly got the attention of the President. After having been allowed to approach, GEJ directed that the boxer see the Minister of Sports for further discussion on the matter.

Ali however alleged that when he tried to see the Minister at a private luncheon held with celebrities and a few others, he was manhandled by the Minister’s aides and was not allowed to see the Minister as directed by the President.

“There is no respect in this country for the people who should be respected,” Ali fumed.

“How can I, when all I am trying to do is lift up my country’s name be assaulted by a bunch of scoundrels all in the name of protecting their master? I was already a world champion when they were in Primary school,” the boxer added.

Official reaction

Although the Nigerian Telegraph has a video showing security officers booting Ali out of the venue of the Minister’s luncheon, when contacted, Godwin Ohimai, the Special Assistant to the Minister, said that such an incident never happened.

“It is a figment of his imagination to say that he (Ali) was assaulted,” Ohimai told the Nigerian Telegraph. “He is the one who caused a scene right before the President and later at the office of the Minister at the National Stadium.”

Ali is trying to beat the Guinness Book of World Record of George Foreman, who became the oldest man to hold a world title at age 45.

However, he may have lost the opportunity to host the fight in Nigeria, as a letter sent to Ali by the International Boxing Union, IBU revealed that Ali was been given till June 7, last Friday, to pay the equivalent of $1 million (N156 million) as IBU’s sanctioning fees.Follow GistaNigeria on Twitter @GistaNigeria and Facebook GistaNigeria
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