Nigeria’s athletics community has suffered another setback following the two-year ban of quarter-miler Imaobong Nse Uko by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a doping violation.
Anti-doping offences include both substance abuse and non-substance-related infractions. While the former involves taking banned performance-enhancing drugs, the latter includes whereabouts failures and procedural violations.
Though the specific nature of Imaobong’s offence has not been publicly disclosed, the AIU confirmed that her period of ineligibility will last until July 23, 2026, with all her results from the date of the infraction disqualified.
Imaobong gained national prominence after winning three gold medals at the 2021 World U20 Athletics Championships in Nairobi—dominating the 400m, the women’s 4x400m relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay. Her meteoric rise made her one of Nigeria’s brightest young stars.
Now, her suspension is not only a blow to her personal career but also a significant dent in Nigeria’s already fragile athletics reputation, which has been marred by multiple doping scandals in recent years.
In June 2025 alone, the AIU handed out bans to 19 athletes across several countries, including Kenya, India, France, Turkey, and the Netherlands, mostly for drug violations or failure to comply with testing regulations.
Imaobong is not the first Nigerian athlete banned this year. Earlier in 2025, Goodness Iredia, a long and triple jumper, was slapped with a three-year suspension after testing positive for Metenolone, a banned steroid, during a competition in the United States on January 31. His suspension runs until February 2028.
These cases add to a growing list of Nigerian athletes facing bans and sanctions, putting increased scrutiny on the nation’s anti-doping systems.