Former Super Falcons player Iyabo Abade, now a man renamed James Johnson, has begged the Nigeria Football Federation to assist him with the payment of N69.7m to facilitate a corrective surgery that will enable him bear children.
Johnson, a confirmed hermaphrodite, was a member of the Falcons from 1997 to 2000 and successfully underwent a sex change operation in the United States in 2004, courtesy of then Minister, Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
This came after a series of failed attempts to correct the abnormality that led to his being dropped from the women’s national team.
A hermaphrodite is a person or animal with both male and female organs. While it is common with animals, it is rare in human beings.
Johnson said he wrote to the NFF for financial assistance last year to undergo the surgery, but hasn’t heard from the football body.
The 40-year-old said he would be a fulfilled man if he could conclude the final stages of the surgery and bear children.
“Anytime I think that I can’t father a child’ yet, I feel broken, that’s why I wrote to the Federation for financial assistance. The NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, is a man with a listening ear and, hopefully, through him, the Federation can help me achieve my dream,” Johnson said.
In the letter titled ‘Appeal for financial assistance to enable me finalise my surgery of transforming from an inter-sex person (male and female organs – hermaphrodite) to full fledged man so that I can father a child’, and addressed to the NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, Johnson said he needed the money to undergo the final two phases of surgery that would make him a full man.
The letter dated April 4, 2023, reads, “My President, I am using this medium to passionately appeal to you for God and humanity sake, to use your good office to assist me financially to enable me travel to the United States of America where I did the 1 & 2 phase of surgery (Midway Hospital Medical Centre, Los Angeles) for the surgery and treatment of the 3rd and 4th phase of my transformation to a full fledged man so that I can father children.
“The total cost of the surgery and treatment is one hundred and sixty thousand dollar ($160,000) equivalent to sixty nine million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N69,750,000:00).
“I was born hermaphrodite i.e. both female and male organs and was brought up as a female. I love football and played very well, that led to my selection to play for the Super Falcons in 1997. During my days of playing, an issue ensued that led to a test, which confirmed that I am a hermaphrodite, 70% male and 30% female. This led to terminating my appointment as a female player.
“The NFA (Nigeria Football Association) instructed that I should go for sex corrective surgery. The then Minister of Federal Capital Territory Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in 2004 sponsored my trip to the United States of America to undergo the sex corrective surgery.
“I was told that I’m going to undergo four phases of surgery. The first and second phase was done and I was invited to join the Flying Eagles in camp in 2005. I was coached by Samson Siasia, but I was dropped due to overage.
“I was able to sign up with NEPA Football Club of Abuja, from there I signed for Plateau United of Jos. I later went on to sign up with Crown Football Club of Ogbomoso in Oyo State, where I was discriminated against and humiliated.”
