Nigerian Star Forward Osimhen Denies Assault Allegations and Plans Legal Action Against Journalist
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, who transferred to Turkish club Galatasaray during the summer transfer window, has been in excellent form during the first half of the season.
Galatasaray, considered the favorite in their match against Dinamo Kyiv, needed a win to advance to the top eight in the Europa League. However, Dinamo Kyiv managed to come back from 3-1 to draw 3-3, securing a favorable result for themselves.
Following the match, Turkish journalist Tolga Bozduman alleged that Osimhen assaulted him outside a nightclub. Bozduman claimed, “As soon as the flashes went off, he started shouting and ran at me. He tried to grab my camera, but I held on to it. Then he punched me in the head. The right side of my head is still in pain.”
The journalist also stated that Osimhen offered him money to delete the pictures and, when the offer was refused, threatened him by saying, “If these images are released, I will ruin you.”
Osimhen has denied the allegations, explaining that the incident did not occur outside a nightclub but instead happened while he was dining with a group of friends, including his national teammate Kenneth Omeruo. He clarified the situation in a statement to the press, saying:
“I was never at a nightclub. My friends and I went to an African restaurant for dinner. We were done and went outside to look at my friend’s brand-new car.
“I was coming back to go into my van, and these guys just popped out from nowhere and put a camera in my face. I was shocked. I was asking them, ‘What is the problem? Why do you pop out the camera in front of my face?’
“They said they are paparazzi. [I said] Okay, what do you want? They didn’t say anything, just popped the camera in my face. And then my friends went to meet them and said, ‘You can’t do that. If you’re professional, you have to come and ask for an interview.'”
Addressing the assault accusations, Osimhen added, “I never punched this guy, I never hit him. I went to him and told him, ‘You have to take the picture down, you have to delete it. It’s my picture; I have every right to tell him to take it down.'”
His teammate Kenneth Omeruo, who was present during the incident, corroborated Osimhen’s account, stating, “Of course he didn’t touch him. I was there.”
Osimhen has suggested that he will take legal action, indirectly indicating his intention to address the matter through the courts. He also dismissed the allegations as false and defamatory.