The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Kassim Afegbua, has explained that ex-Super Eagles coach, Shaibu Amodu, died early Saturday morning in his house at Delta Crescent in GRA of Benin City.

Mr. Afegbua, a cousin of the late coach, spoke to journalists at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, where Mr. Amodu’s body was taken to before a final journey to his home town, Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

“We were together yesterday. He came to my house in the morning and we were discussing. He told me he would be travelling to Okpella this morning (Saturday.) Later in the day, he was at the police station to see one of the family members who was arrested,” Mr. Afegbua said.

“Later in the night, he only complained of chest pain, and we called a doctor to check his blood pressure and it was 140 over 100. He was advised to take his drugs and also to stop participation in the Ramadan fasting.”

“He later led the Tarawih (Muslim fasting prayer) for the family. And after the prayer, he went to bed after eating.

“He was discovered dead in his room at about 4am this morning when they went to wake him up for the (Subhur) morning prayer,” Mr. Afegbua explained.

Double tragedy

Meanwhile, a former coach of the national female team, Godwin Izilien, has described Mr. Amodu’s death as a double tragedy.

Mr. Izilien, who spoke at Stella Obasanjo Hospital, said: “I was trying to reach him several times yesterday but his line was not available. But I eventually got him in the evening and he told me he was at a police station; that he went to bail one of his family members.”

“I eventually went to meet him at the police station where I told him I’ve brought the driver he requested and he said we should meet by 10am this morning to interview him. This is the meeting,” he said, crying again.

Mr. Izilien described the death of Mr. Amodu, just four days after the death of Stephen Keshi, as a double tragedy for Nigeria.

As at the time of filling this report, Mr. Amodu was yet to be buried.