Date: October 3, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Former Nigerian U-17 striker Ibanga Mbetobong Samuel, popularly known as Mbet Samuel, says he continues to suffer severe pain and the long-term consequences of a career-ending knee injury he sustained while representing Nigeria 16 years ago, while alleging that repeated attempts to obtain assistance and compensation from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have produced no relief.
Mbet, who is currently serving as a member of Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), told SaharaReporters that his efforts to secure support from the football federation had continued without resolution.
“I still live with an incurable knee disease known as osteoarthritis for 16 years now and my knee is paining me seriously,” Mbet said.
He said the injury had fundamentally changed the course of his life, leaving him with years of physical pain, financial hardship and uncertainty.
“All the pains, shame, disgrace, poverty, and tears and sorrow that my family and I passed through because of this career-ending injury, I suffered without compensation, or consolation by the NFF,” he said.
Mbet’s complaint is part of a long-running legal dispute with the NFF concerning the treatment he says he received after being injured while playing for Nigeria’s U-17 team.
According to court documents cited in earlier reports, Mbet is seeking N2 billion in damages from the federation. His suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Owerri under case number FHC/OW/FHR/30/2025, alleges that the NFF failed to provide or sponsor adequate medical treatment following the injury.
Previous reports said Mbet’s court filings described the alleged failure to provide treatment as inhuman and degrading. He also said the injury left him unable to undertake strenuous physical work, with running and climbing becoming difficult and some days leaving him barely able to stand.
Mbet said his legal efforts suffered another setback after the Federal High Court in Owerri ruled that the matter fell outside its jurisdiction. He said Justice Iniekenimi Nicholas Oweibo directed him to seek redress at the National Industrial Court.
“The judge of the Federal High Court in Owerri, Hon. Justice Iniekenimi Nicholas Oweibo, in his final judgment said it is not in his jurisdiction to make judgment over my case and we should go to the Industrial Court,” Mbet said.
He said the decision left him frustrated after years of attempting to obtain justice over an injury he sustained while representing his country.
“Left without justice for the career-ending injury I suffered playing for my country Nigeria and now I am a corper serving Nigeria again the second time,” he said.
Mbet also alleged that attempts to communicate directly with the NFF about his situation had been unsuccessful.
“We sent a letter to the NFF twice but they denied receiving it even when one of their officials acknowledged the letter by signing it,” he said.
The former footballer had previously said he underwent knee surgery at the University College Hospital in Ibadan after former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki and then Director of the Kwara State Football Academy Kumbi Titiloye intervened on his behalf. He said doctors later warned him that continuing to play football could put his leg at risk.
After his football career ended, Mbet said he survived by taking up other forms of work, including butchering and dealing in metal scraps. His situation attracted wider attention in 2023 when reports emerged that he had returned to Calabar, Cross River State, and was working at an abattoir to support himself and his family.
Following the publicity surrounding his circumstances, the Cross River State Government and other individuals reportedly provided assistance. He was also reported to have received support that enabled him to establish a football training centre, while officials of the University of Calabar assisted him in completing his university education.
However, the dispute with the NFF remained unresolved.
The legal proceedings had also encountered delays. In July 2025, the case was reportedly scheduled for a definite hearing, but the NFF was absent and was not represented by counsel. The court subsequently ordered that a fresh hearing notice be issued and served on the federation.
Mbet has separately alleged that he was treated harshly when he visited the NFF headquarters in Abuja seeking assistance for his medical condition. He alleged that former NFF President Ibrahim Gusau ordered security personnel to remove him from the premises.
“Even when former NFF president, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, ordered his security detail to assault me in Abuja because I humbly asked for help,” he said.
The allegation was previously reported by SaharaReporters, which said the NFF did not respond to efforts to obtain its reaction at the time. The allegation has not been established as a court finding.
Mbet’s case has continued even as he has returned to national service through the NYSC, giving him another opportunity to serve Nigeria more than a decade after his football career was cut short.
Despite the difficulties he says he has endured, Mbet said he remained proud of his service to the country.
“Though it’s a mixture of joy and sadness but well, I feel proud and still happy to have served Nigeria as a footballer and now a corper,” he said.
His account highlights the continuing consequences of the injury he says he sustained while representing Nigeria as a young footballer. Sixteen years later, he says he remains in significant pain while pursuing legal redress and seeking medical support and compensation over what he describes as the loss of his football career.