A former World boxing champion, Bash Alli, has sued a former minister of sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, before an Abuja High Court, over alleged extortion and defamation of character.

Harry Agina, communication and publicity director of Bash Alli Guinness World Records Boxing Project in a statement in Ibadan yesterday, said that in the case with suit number: FCT/HC/CV/6411/2023, Bash Alli was asking for N500 billion damages from the former Minister of Sports, now a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu.

Also joined in the case brought before the court by Alli, through his counsel, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, are: Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (now National Sports Commission), and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to the statement, a hearing on the matter has already been fixed for Thursday, July 3, 2025, before FCT High Court 4, sitting in Maitama, Abuja.

It would be recalled that Bash Ali, had in a series of letters written to the federal government, accused the federal government through the office of the chief of staff to the president got an advance payment of $12 million.

The FGN through the then Minister of Sports and now Special Adviser on Media to Mr. President, Sunday Dare and Barr. D.A Muhammad at the National Sports Commission extorted N13 million and after the former Minister of Sports and now State Minister of Trade and Investment, John Enoh tried and failed to extort another $1 million from him.

“The FGN has stalled the hosting of the First Guinness World Record Boxing Championship fight on the soil of Africa and the benefits to Nigeria.

“His refusal to agree and cooperate with corrupt government officials was responsible for all the tactics employed to delay or retard the planned hosting of the first Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight on the soil of Africa which is expected to be the most lucrative in the history of Pay Per View revenue’’, part of the statement read. (LEADERSHIP)