From Montreal to Lagos in 47 years – the story of forgotten heroes!

On July 16, 1976, a brand-new Nigerian Airways DC 10 aircraft took off from the Montreal International airport, Canada, piloted by renowned Captain All-well Brown, and heading for Lagos. It was a human cargo of 45 young Nigerian athletes whose action helped changed several chapters in human history


47 years later, on July 28th 2023, another plane, AirPeace Dreamliner 777, carrying the surviving members of that same contingent of athletes, piloted by Co-Captains, Dr. Allen Onyema and Professor Eghosa Osaghae, will be landing in Lagos, Nigeria.


This is definitely a forgotten story in Nigeria’s Sports and Diplomacy history.


The challenge now is that I have been trying to compile an authentic list of the athletes involved in the eventful plot that started in 1976.


Since I raised the issue on social media last week, it has taken all of that period till now to get most of the jigsaws to fit the puzzle. It is not complete yet, even as I write this.


The story is that, the International Olympic Committee, IOC, evicted the contingents of 27 African countries, as well as Guyana and Iraq, from the Olympic Village that summer evening in 1976. Those were the countries that responded to the call of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa to boycott the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in protest against New Zealand’s participation, a country that had maintained sporting relations with South Africa that had been banned from the Olympic movement for their Apartheid system of government.


Nigeria played a lead role.

If young South Africans knew the country played in the 1970s,1980s and 1990s for their liberation and emancipation, including how innocent Nigerian athletes gave up their lifetime dreams to support freedom for the people of South Africa at that period in history, none of them would have dared raise a finger to hurt a Nigerian as they did during the ugly and senseless Xenophobic threats in that country a few years ago.


That set aside, there were 45 Nigerian athletes involved and affected by the eviction from Montreal. It was a traumatic, psychological and physical blow for them to arrive at the gates of global opportunity, of global stardom and fame, of personal fortune and the fulfilment of a lifetime dream, and to be turned back. It was losing an opportunity that only comes once, one that cannot be regained. For a sports person, it was an ultimate price to pay.


For the athletes who had no choice in the matter but to obey, it was a sacrifice unrequited for 47 years, without a wisp or a whimper of appreciation, recognition or compensation. They simply vanished into the oblivion of human history, into narrow, individual cocoons of personal interests, pursuing ‘new’ dreams (or none at all), but never getting over, or forgetting the pains that giving up their greatest dreams inflicted on their psyche and their lives.

Their pains linger still.


Now this, from the blue.

Through an inexplicable series of uncoordinated and unplanned events, beyond explanation, there is a resurrection, a re-awakening of ‘dead’ bones. It was not on any one’s cards. Only the Creator of the Universe who sees all and understands all, in their unending complexity, could have scripted the present plot that is unfolding in Lagos almost half a Century later.


A Nigerian and a Nigerian institution are looking for the athletes of that 1976 episode to honour them. Many of them have passed on. The puzzle is now: who are they? Where are they now? Last week, I set out to unearth both.


I spent the whole week scrummaging through piles of literature in different places, calling up several of the surviving athletes involved (many of them living in the United States of America) and joggling their memories, interviewing scholars of sports and diplomacy, checking up local and foreign libraries, exploring online search engines, and finally visiting the offices of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, in Lagos.


As I write this, the best I could get, still, is a tentative list of those that were on board the Nigeria Airways plane that flew out of Montreal that fateful sunny, summer day to return the Nigerian athletes home.


The Nigeria Olympic Committee, the body that is responsible for registering Nigerian athletes and takes them to every Olympics Games, lived up to its responsibility and ‘saved the day’. They gave me a 2009 publication, ‘History of Olympic Movement in Nigeria’, written by some scholars for the NOC. The book helped a lot but still did not provide the minutest details needed to complete the puzzle. I must acknowledge that the book provides useful information on the history of Nigeria’s participation in the Olympic Movement since the NOC was admitted into the Olympic Movement in 1952.


It took additional enquiry from several other sources for me to come up with a list that may represent the most authentic, yet, of the number and names of the athletes that were in Canada for a whole week before being forced to leave the Games Village on the eve of the Opening Ceremony of the Games.


Back to the present.

On July 28, 2023, there is a plan for a historic re-visit to the main characters of Montreal ‘76 saga. An event is being planned to take place in the city of Lagos to honour, recognise and celebrate them, a group of patriotic Nigerian young men and women that gave up their dreams in obedience to their continent’s call.


On this day, their lives will turn full circle. From the throes of a gloomy, dark and forgotten past, they will be ushered into the klieg light of celebration, recognition and reward for national service. The names of these 45 athletes will be written in gold on a monument for all generations and humanity to see.


Meanwhile, there is an authentic list to draw up, and I am still struggling. I am publishing here what I have listed so far, and I await any dissentions or omissions. This list is definitely not complete. There are only 42 names here in a contingent of 45 athletes. Who can help, with evidence, to complete the list?

Get in touch with me please through my email medium: olusegunodegbami@yahoo.com.


Athletics:

Kola Abdulahi, Ruks Bazunu, Edward Ofili, Moses Adebanji, Mark Olomu, Chuks Abigide, Dele Udoh, Felix Imadiyi, Benjamin Omodiale, Rotimi Peters, Bruce Ijirigho, Taiwo Ogunjobi, Denis Otiono, Godwin Obasogie, Graywood Oruwari, Moses Akporowho, John Okoro, Charlton Ehizuelen, Modupe Oshikoya, Gloria Ayanlaja.


Boxing:

Davidson Andeh, Lawrence Obagoriola, Obisia Nwamkpa, Gabriel Daramola.


Swimming:

John Ebito


Football:

Emmanuel Okala, Joseph Erico, Andrew Atuegbu, Christian Chukwu, Godwin Odiye, Patrick Ekeji, Samuel Ojebode, Sanni Mohammed, Mudashiru Lawal, Alloysius Atuegbu, Kelechi Emetiole, Haruna Ilerika, Baba Otu Mohammed, Thompson Usiyan, Adekunle Awesu, Jide Dina, Segun Odegbami.


As you may observe, at the very end of the list above, my name is also listed. I was in that party and on the flight.


In April of 1976, I joined the Green Eagles in Europe for final preparations for the Olympic Games in Montreal. I was a graduating student. I had just written my final papers, submitted my project, collected my National Youth Service Corp, NYSC posting, and was ready to conquer the world.


Next week, I shall tell my incredible story!