Oduduru: I never asked Okagbare to buy drugs for me

Divine Oduduru says he never asked Blessing Okagbare or any other person including Eric Lira to buy drugs for him, insisting he is innocent of the two anti-
doping rule violations (ADRVs) of possession of prohibited substances and the attempted use of a prohibited substance or method slammed against him by the
Athletics Integrity Unit.

The three-member disciplinary tribunal found Oduduru guilty of Possession of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method under Rule 2.6 of the World
Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) and of Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method (ADR 2.2), together treated as a single first
violation.

He has been banned for six years and his results from July 12 2021 until the date of his provisional suspension have been disqualified. He is also ordered to pay World Athletics US$3000 towards its expenses regarding the case.

The AIU evidence was largely based on the conversation Okagbare, banned for 11 years last year, had with Lira, where she seemed to be asking for drugs for
Oduduru.

Oduduru insisted during the tribunal hearing that he had never asked anyone to buy drugs for him, that he disputed the contents of the witness statement of
Mr. Victor Burgos (member of the United States Anti Doping Agency,USADA) and that he was not a participant within the Okagbare – Lira messages exchange and
that there was no evidence of use.

Oduduru, through his lawyer said the ‘incriminating comments found in Ms. Okagbare’s phone conversation with Mr. Lira, the Sole Arbitrator in Ms. Okagbare’s
case found the messages were only relevant to her case because Ms. Okagbare was part of the said phone conversation. Oduduru was not part of the conversation
between Ms. Okagbare and Mr. Lira and was not aware of the discussions between them over the phone’.

Oduduru also averred that the periods that Ms. Okagbare allegedly had the said conversation with Mr. Lira that implicated him, he was tested severally
between 2019 and 9 July 2021 and all the results came out negative.

He was also subjected to several drug tests until February 2023 when he was provisionally suspended by World Athletics and all the results came out negative,
which means that he is clean and did not use any Prohibited Substance(s).

Oduduru also argued that the US charge and conviction of Mr. Lira was not based on any association or communication between Mr. Lira and him but on the
findings of the US FBI agent who investigated Mr. Lira and found direct communication between Mr.Lira and Okagbare on one hand and between Mr. Lira and
another Swiss Athlete on the other hand.

The conviction of Mr. Lira by way of a guilty plea is, without doubt, a result of his direct communication with both Okagbare and the Swiss
Athlete.

In Okagbare and the Swiss athlete’s case drug test results were positive and were linked directly to the drugs supplied to them by Mr. Lira. The Athlete did
not have any communication with Mr. Lira and his drug test results are negative.