Former Chelsea star is hit with FIVE-YEAR ban from football and fined after furious row with Samuel Eto'o
Former Chelsea star Geremi has been handed a five-year ban from football by Cameroon's FA and fined £13,000 following a dispute with federation president Samuel Eto'o.
The 46-year-old, who earned 118 caps for Cameroon - the joint-second highest in the country's history - lifted the Premier League title with Chelsea in both 2005 and 2006.
He also enjoyed spells at Real Madrid, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle before hanging up his boots in 2011.
Since retiring, Geremi has often found himself at the centre of controversy. He previously held a role with the National Union of Footballers of Cameroon (Synafoc), but has now been hit with a lengthy ban after a fallout with Eto'o.
The feud between the pair dates back to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, during Cameroon's clash with Gambia.
Geremi was reportedly involved in a heated exchange with a member of Eto'o's staff, which quickly escalated and resulted in the two having to be separated by those nearby.
Reports in Cameroon claim Geremi was 'forcibly removed' by nearby security on the orders of FeCafoot officials - and the governing body has now ruled that the former midfielder must serve a lengthy ban as a consequence of his actions.
'We declare Geremi Sorel Njitap, the president of Synafoc, guilty of breaking the behaviour rules of our code of ethics,' a statement read.
We sentence him to a ban from all forms of football activity for five years, and to a fine of ten million West African francs [£13,000]. He has ten days to submit a written appeal.'
Geremi's assistant, Daniel Blaise Ngos, has also been sanctioned over the incident, receiving a two-year ban and a £6,500 fine.
Geremi is expected to launch an appeal against the ruling, with reports suggesting he could take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to overturn or reduce both the ban and £13,000 fine.
He made headlines last year after splitting from his wife following DNA tests that revealed the two children he believed were his were actually fathered by her former partner.
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Dis witness also tell di court how one IPOB/ESN commander wey police arrest, bin confess say Nnamdi Kanu order dem to bury one of dia commander wey police kill wit 2000 human heads, but na 30 pipo dem don get so far bifor police arrest am. According to DDD, dis arrested Ipob member name na Uzoma Benjamin, a.k.a 'Onye Army. However, e admit say no be im interview di suspect, but na wetin di newspapers publish. Di witness tender a publication of Vanguard Newspaper of 3 July, wey contain di report. E also tok claim say na Ipob kill Ahmed Gulak bicos e disobey sit-at-home order wey Nnamdi Kanu bin declare. However, during cross-examination, one of Kanu lawyers Onyechi Ikpeazu, point out say Gulak na politician, and na im be di chairman of di primary election wey produce Uzodinma as di APC govnorship candidate for Imo State. Ikpeazu ask di witness why e be say di killers kill only Gulak, but dem no touch di driver of im vehicle and di oda passenger wey dey wit am dat time, since na all of dem disobey di sit-at-home order. E also point out say di govment of Imo State later come out to explain say di killing of Gulak dey politically motivated. PW5 - Mr EEE Dis last witness tell di court say im work na to investigate wetin happen during di End SARS nationwide protest of October 2020 for Nigeria. EEE insist say di issue of police brutality na di secondary cause of di protest, but di underlying reasons na bicos say some subversive elements, like Nnamdi Kanu, bin don dey incite di public against di goment. E tender document of dia investigation as evidence, and di document show say about 175 security officers - including policemen, army pipo and DSS pipo - bin die across di kontri during di protest. For di cross-examination, Ikpeazu ask di witness say: Shey you dey categorically tell di court say di End SARS protests na Biafran issue?" Di witness respond say "my assignment no be to investigate Biafra, my assignment na to investigate di End SARS protest to which di defendant bin incite di public." Ikpeazu den point to di report of di panel of enquiry into di End SARS protest for Lagos State, and say di report no mention Ipob or Nnamdi Kanu anywia as di pipo wey dey responsible. E also try to poke holes for di document wey Mr EEE bin tender, as e point out say di document no get di signature or stamp of di pipo wey claim say na dem write am. Also Ikpeazu point out say di document get inconsistencies, like wia e refer to Osun State as Ekiti State, and places wia details of di dead bodies of di security pipo wey dem claim say Ipob/ESN pipo kill durin End SARS no dey clear. As cross-examination end, Awomolo, counsel to di goment inform di court say dem dey close dia case for hia, as dem believe say di evidences dem provide and di witnesses dem call don dey sufficient. No-case submission Kanu Agabi, di lead defence counsel inform di court say dem go file no-case submission, since di prosecution don exhaust dia case. "Chief Awomolo get di misfortune of trying dis case, and we get di misfortune of defending am, bicos we no see any case at all for dis charges against our client," Agabi tok. E ask di trial judge to give dem some days to file dia written address on di no case submission. Justice Omotosho grant di defence team 14 days to fille dia written address, and also 14 days to di prosecution team to file dia own. Omotosho adjourn di matter to 18 July, 2025, for di two sides to come and adopt dia addresses so dat e go rule, perhaps afta Judges come back from dia annual Vacation wey dey start from late July to early September. Di Charges against Kanu Since 2015 wen di Nigeria goment first arrest Nnamdi Kanu, na only April dis year im trial start well-well. Remember say di matter bin dey bifor Justice Binta Nyako of di Federal High Court Abuja, and na she bin grant Kanu bail on health grounds in 2017, but Kanu run for im life comot for Nigeria afta soldiers bin carry out security operation for im House in Umuahia, Abia State for southeast Nigeria. In June 2021, security pipo for Kenya arrest Kanu and carry am by force come bak to Nigeria to face trial. Di initial charges against di ipob leader bin dey 15, but Justice Nyako bring am down to seven. Even though di Court of Appeal later strike out all di charges and discharge Kanu, di Supreme Court reinstated di seven charges as dem tok say di Ipob leader get questions to ansa. Here na di seven charges:
