
The Newcastle striker cut short his pre-season plans to fly home to Nigeria last night. Martins’ mother Alhaja, 62, died of shock in her car after trying to escape a petrol tanker that caught fire near her Lagos apartment.
Brother Biola said: “Oba was closer to our mother than anyone else in the family. "He just wanted to get on the plane and find out for himself that our mother is truly no more. “He’s still in shock and disbelief and feels terribly down. Oba always consulted her first in any decision to do with his career. “Our mother stood by him when everyone else condemned his decision to dump school in pursuit of an unpredictable future in football. “He once got himself into trouble for choosing to be with her at a time she was ill instead of playing in an international friendly with Nigeria.”
Martins, 23, will skip tomorrow’s friendly against Doncaster and could miss Toon’s Majorca training camp next week — making him a fitness doubt for the start of the Premier League season next month. Alhaja rallied family and friends to escape the scene at around 3am yesterday but collapsed as she tried to move her car.
She had been set to move to Tyneside permanently in September. Martins’ cousin Muftau Balogun, who witnessed the incident, said: “Oba called the moment he heard and cried uncontrollably.”
Martins was involved in a car hijacking two years ago when masked gunmen shot at him and a friend in Lagos. A Newcastle spokesman said: “Oba has flown back to Nigeria on compassionate grounds to be with his family at what is a very sad time for them. “Everyone at the club extends their greatest sympathies to Oba and his relatives.”
poor thing ![]()
R.I.P
First, Frank'mum,
2nd, Boulahrou baby
3rd, Brown's brothers wife
now this
R.I.P to all the above state name
R.I.P ![]()
Last year alot of wrestlers died, this years so many relatives of footballers died...
RIP to all of them