After violating an anti-doping rule, Nigerian athlete Imaobong Nse Uko has maintained that she is not at fault.
Imaobong Nse Uko was condemned by the Athletics Integrity Unit for allegedly breaking its anti-doping rule on June 5, 2024. She was included in the AIU June 2025 penalties list and has been suspended for two years.
Even though the AIU did not reveal the exact nature of the offense, it is classified as a non-doping infraction, like whereabouts failures.
As a result of this punishment, Uko will be barred from all professional competitions from the date of the violation until June 23, 2026.
Uko, the 2021 World Under-20 triple gold champion, responded to the sentence by accusing the Athletics Federation of Nigeria of being responsible for the two-year ban. She claimed that the body’s corruption and carelessness caused her to break the anti-doping regulation.
She claims that the problem started when she encountered technological issues when utilizing the online whereabouts system that athletes are expected to use in accordance with drug-testing procedures.
According to Uko, the predicament is the result of “a corrupt federation and a flawed system that has failed to support” her during her most vulnerable moments.
In spite of her continuous attempts to get in touch with the federation officials, she accused the AFN of failing to assist her.
“As a vital need for athletes undergoing drug testing, I battled for months with an online system designed to disclose my whereabouts. Imaobong Nse Uko said on Instagram, “I kept contacting for assistance, but I was told to wait and kept getting excuses about network problems.” “I felt abandoned by the very organization that is meant to protect and support athletes because my messages were frequently ignored.”
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“I was heartbroken when I was finally suspended. I challenged the federation representatives during the hearing, asking them why they failed to help me with my technical issues. They said that I had submitted my information wrongly, which I vehemently refute, and their response was ambiguous.
I contacted a lot of people for help, such as Mbachi Louis and Mrs. Onos, but she first disregarded my messages, making me think she was no longer approachable. Paradoxically, she called me on the day of my hearing using the same number, but when I asked for assistance, she did not answer.
Taldang, the Assistant Secretary of the AFN, also sent me a note promising help. But he didn’t aid me when I needed it most.
The dishonesty and carelessness inside the federation that is meant to defend our rights as athletes have been made clear by this circumstance. I won’t stand by and let them abuse their position of authority and ruin our careers.
“I’m sharing my tale to raise awareness of the structural problems that our sports organizations face. Athletes need to unite and demand transparency and accountability. Nobody should have to endure the repercussions of a malfunctioning system.
