Duro Ikhazuagbe 

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has officially announced the ban of one of Nigeria’s quarter milers, Imaobong Nse Uko, 20, for two years for dope violation.

In the updated list of athletes sanctioned for dope related offences published on July 1, 2025, Uko’s ban was retroactively effected from June 5, 2024, the date of her infraction. She is the 10th Nigerian athlete on that list of athletes banned for dope.

Although the AIU failed to list the exact offence for which Uko is being punished for, she was provisionally suspended from the track  from July 7, 2024 with all the results of the races she clocked from that date all now annulled.

She will not be eligible to return to the track until July 23, 2026.

Uko at just 17, shot into limelight when she won the 400m gold at the U20 World Athletics  Championships in Nairobi, Kenya with a PB of 51.55secs.

The following year, she went on to win the National Sports Festival 400m gold.  medal. She defended the quarter-mile gold at the 2021 NSF and followed up qualifying to run in Nigeria’s 4x400m relay at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.

Uko is one of Nigeria’s brightest hope to step into the shoes vacated by the likes of Falilat Ogunkoya and Fatima Yusuf.

In that updated list of athletes serving suspensions for various infractions, Imaobong Uko is the 10th Nigerian athlete so banned.

Former shot put record holder, Vivian Chukwuemeka and Henry Azike top the list with life bans followed by Blessing Okagbare who is serving 10 years suspension. Glory Okon, Stephen Eloji, Ada Princes Bright and Yinka Ajaiyi are all serving four years each for similar dope infractions.

Kenyan and Indian athletes however dominated the list of athletes serving dope violations with several years ban from track and field.

No official of the AFN could be reached last night to speak on this Imaobong Nse Uko dope violation.