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Brown Ideye denies calling for retired footballers to be jailed.
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He clarified his remarks were about financial planning and support.
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Meanwhile, Ideye called on empathy instead of outrage.
Former Super Eagles forward Brown Ideye rejected reports that he wanted financially struggling retired footballers jailed, saying those accounts misrepresent him.
Also Read: “Broke retired players should be jailed” – Ex-Super Eagles’ Ideye
In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight,” Ideye said he backs programmes that help players transition after their careers and would not support punitive actions.
He urged the public and the media to “approach these conversations with empathy and solutions, not condemnation.”
A clipped online post reported as “They should be jailed for life if, after they retired from playing, they can’t feed themselves” spread fast and drew heavy criticism.
Ideye says people pulled that line out of context; he wanted to highlight the need for financial planning and better support for players, not punishment.
He also warned against quick judgments online, writing:
“School is not a scam, try to learn how to read and understand the whole story before jumping into conclusions.”
Taribo West’s strong remarks at Peter Rufai’s funeral had already reopened debate about how former internationals are treated.
So, many readers only saw the shortened clip and missed the fuller context Ideye meant.
Brown Ideye rejects the mischaracterisation, calls for calm and urges everyone to focus on practical support for retired players instead of outrage.
