Kano Pillars defender Reuben Ogbonnaya has had successful surgery to remove the bullet at the back of his head, Goal can exclusively report.
Ogbonnaya had surgery at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on Thursday, more than a month after he was shot in an armed robbery attack on his his team along the Abuja-Lokoja road on their way to Owerri to face Heartland in a league match.
The incident, which happened on March 5, left five players of Pillars – Ubong Moses Ekpai, Adamu Murtala, Eneji Otekpa, Gambo Mohammed and Ogbonnaya – badly affected from the injuries sustained from the attack after the armed robbers had collected their personal effects and other valuables.
Ogbonnaya told Goal that he was happy to have a hitch free surgery and that the surgery only lasted about 30 minutes.
He said he decided to leave the pellet in his head for that long so that he could assist Pillars in their quest to qualify for the second round of the CAF Champions League, a decision which has now been superceded by the elimination of the Nigerian champions in the hands of Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco last weekend.
“I have done successful surgery to remove the bullet at the back of my head and I am delighted it went well. I had a sacrifice for the club because we were short of players in the defence with some of our regular players down with injuries. I had to go for it after we couldn’t qualify for the next round,” Ogbonnaya told Goal.
He said he had not been told how long he would remain out of football but was told to return to the hospital for check up on Wednesday in order to examine the healing progress of the wound.
Ogbonnaya joined Pillars at the beginning of the season from El Kanemi Warriors.