GBA Communications Director Expresses Disappointment Over Exclusion from Committee Investigating Nigerian Boxer’s Death

Mohammed Amin Lamptey, the Director of Communications for the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), has voiced his disappointment at not being invited to join the committee set up to investigate the tragic death of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju.

Olanrewaju tragically collapsed during a Professional Boxing League bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra in March 2025. The 40-year-old Nigerian pugilist was engaged in an undercard fight against Ghanaian boxer John Mbanugu, known in the ring as “Power.”

Midway through the contest, Olanrewaju collapsed unexpectedly, prompting the referee to stop the fight and call for emergency medical assistance. Despite efforts to revive him, the boxer was later pronounced dead.

In response to the incident, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, established a special committee to investigate the circumstances leading to Olanrewaju’s death.

However, Lamptey believes that his exclusion from the probe is a missed opportunity, especially given his first-hand view of the tragic scene and his role as a key spokesperson for the sport in Ghana.

“As the Director of Communications for GBA and a ring announcer, I was not invited to the committee probing the death of the Nigerian boxer,” he lamented. “I was the ring announcer and I was closer to the scene than everybody and I was the one going on radio and TV to explain what I saw.” He said on Asempa FM.

The death of Olanrewaju has sparked fresh concerns about boxer safety and the standards of medical response at combat sports events in Ghana.