Nigerian sprinter, Imaobong Uko fights back, blames AFN for two-year ban

Former world under-20 400m champion, Imaobong Nse Uko, has blamed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for her two-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics due to her  whereabouts failures.

In a statement on her Instagram page over the weekend, the 20-year-old Nigerian sprinter said the AFN let her down during a crucial time in her career.

She described the system as “flawed” while also tagging the federation as “negligent.”

Uko became popular at just 14 when she won the 400m at the 2018 National Sports Festival. She later won gold at the 2021 World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.

However, in July 2024, she was provisionally suspended for missing three mandatory doping control updates within 12 months.

“I struggled for months with the online system to report my whereabouts,” Uko wrote. “I asked the AFN for help many times, but they gave excuses or ignored me. When I was finally suspended, I was heartbroken.”

Reports say her third missed update happened before the 2024 Nigerian Championships, where she finished third in the 400m.

Since then, she has not competed and missed the entire 2025 NCAA indoor and outdoor seasons, although she is still listed on Baylor University’s team.

Uko mentioned the names of federation officials she reached out to  for help, blaming their failure to assist her over the  suspension saga

“This situation has revealed the corruption and negligence in the AFN, which should protect us as athletes,” she said. “I refuse to keep quiet while they misuse their power and damage our careers.”

The AIU has not shared full details of her missed tests, but this case highlights how difficult it is for young Nigerian athletes to follow anti-doping rules without proper support.

Despite her ban, Uko remains hopeful and has urged other athletes to demand accountability and transparency in sports governance.