By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has been accused of assaulting a photojournalist during a late-night outing in Istanbul, Turkey.
Osimhen, who is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, was reportedly leaving an entertainment venue with friends when the incident occurred.
A group of reporters, including journalist Tolga Bozduman, attempted to take pictures of the Super Eagles forward, which quickly led to an altercation, as reported by Posta Newspaper.
Bozduman recounted the incident, saying, “I filmed Osimhen at the door with three of my colleagues. When the flashes went off, all hell broke loose.
“He ran towards me, screaming. He tried to take my camera away from me, but I didn’t let him. The punch he threw hit me in the head. My right side still hurts.”
Bozduman further alleged that Osimhen swore at him and attempted to offer him money in exchange for destroying the footage, before threatening, “I’ll destroy you,” when the journalist refused.
As of now, Osimhen and Galatasaray have not officially commented on the allegations.
The striker has been in impressive form for Galatasaray, with 15 goals and six assists in 19 matches across all competitions this season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
