In recent months, the former Super Eagles captain has reiterated in multiple interviews, including a podcast with Peter Crouch, that he personally paid for the flight from Atlanta to Rio. Mikel insisted the team faced a flight crisis and that no funds were available, prompting him to take charge.
However, Jinadu, who oversaw the team’s training camp in Atlanta ahead of the Games, offered a conflicting account. Speaking on Elegbete TV, he acknowledged there were indeed financial challenges but asserted that Delta Airlines provided the flight for free after a heartfelt public appeal.
According to Jinadu, the Nigerian team’s travel issues were less about money and more about securing logistics amidst a congested Olympic travel schedule. He explained that he reached out to Delta Airlines during a live TV interview, after which the airline responded with a charter plane offer worth $250k—free of charge. Delta also provided hotel reservations for the squad.
Jinadu added that although the NFF had not arranged the flight at the time, he stepped in to prevent national embarrassment. His account suggests that no personal funds from Mikel were used for the team’s journey to Rio.
The two figures now offer completely contrasting narratives about the dramatic events of that summer, raising fresh debate over who truly saved Nigeria’s Olympic hopes in 2016. With the story gaining renewed attention, clarity may yet emerge about what really happened behind the scenes.