Two Nigerian athletes are facing up to a decade behind bars after taking part in a fraud scheme uncovered by the FBI. Last week, Emmanuel Ineh and Toluwani Adebakin were convicted of transferring tens of thousands of dollars to the West African country as part of what was deemed "a complex fraud scheme" by the American justice department.
The 23 and 25-year-olds were team-mates at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi when they were found to be part of the conspiracy. According to the prosecutors, athletes from multiple institutions were involved in the illegal scheme.
A board member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Dare Esan, was left saddened by the shocking news. "It's really sad and damaging, not just to the image of the sport or federation, but Nigeria as a country," he told BBC Sport Africa.
"This kind of action could potentially affect other young athletes seeking scholarships to American schools. It dents the incredible achievements other honest athletes have created in the world. But we know America is a country with justice and fairness, so whoever is found guilty will be punished and made to pay the price for their own actions."
Both defendants will be in court on February 15 next year in Hattiesburg and will face the maximum penalty of 10 years. Esan added: “Sadly, wire fraud and other criminal activities are not limited to athletics but have become a national problem that must be fixed.
"Imagine someone like Ineh, who's won an African [Youth] Games medal, to be caught up in this? You allow yourself and bank details to be used for fraud and decide to derail your career - for what? It's sad and disappointing to see young athletes with great potential go this route in life."
This will prove detrimental to the careers of both men. Ineh is one of Nigeria's fast-rising long jump and triple jump talents.
Having moved to University of Alabama earlier this year, he would have no doubt been looking to progress in his career, but that is now in serious jeopardy as he will be 33 should he serve a decade in jail.
Adebakin on the other hand, who will be 35 at the end of a 10-year jail spell, won a national championship as part of the 4x400m relay team and spent two years at William Carey University. He graduated from the University of South Florida in May and obtained dual degrees - a master's degree in sports entertainment and a master's in business administration (MBA).
