Wilson Oruma: The millionaire footballer who lost everything to a fake oil company

When elite football players' careers are finished, it's important to reinvest themselves into a new challenge or invest their earnings into appreciating assets.

Nigerian Super Eagle Wilson Oruma was one of the footballers trying to reinvest his millions of earnings into a business or sector that was appreciating. He chose oil and gas.

The Nigerian played for the national team alongside JJ Okocha and Kanu, but he's still reportedly suffering intense mental anguish after being defrauded and losing his life savings nearly ten years ago.

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The former Nigerian player invested his life savings into an oil and gas business in Lagos, but it turned out to be a defrauded clergyman and a fake oil businessman.

It was reported that Oruma lost N1.2 billion of his life savings ($1.5 million) to an investment, giving him an emotional disorder.

Following his emotional disorders, former Nigerian Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick handled all of his hospital bills and got him transferred to a better facility so he could get back on his feet.

According to dailypost.ng, In 2018, Oruma's friend, Emakpor Dibofun, said: "Wilson Oruma hasn't really recovered from the emotional disorder which he suffered after he was duped."

"He has been to several places in search of a lasting solution, but it gets worse after a bit of improvement."

In April this year, it was reported that Oruma was still struggling to deal with the loss of all his life savings, with pictures of him seen on a drip while lying asleep in bed.

In a video online, Oruma confirmed that he was fine and refuted the report that he was still sick over the past.

According to pulsesports.ng, Oruma said: "I appreciate you all. Thank you for every support you have shown me and my family. We are healthy and sane."

The former Super Eagle was a part of the Nigeria Under 17 team, which won the U17 FIFA World Cup in 1993, and apart from the Nigerian team that won Olympic Gold in 1996.

The former right winger played for the Nigerian National Team 19 times from 1995 to 2006, representing them at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Oruma also played at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2002 and 2006, failing to get past the semi-final and finishing third.

The former Nigerian player spent most of his domestic career in France, playing for French giants Lens, Marseille, Guingamp, and Sochaux.

While in France, he won the Ligue 1 title with Lens, the UEFA Intertoto Cup with Marseille, the Coupe de la Ligue with Sochaux, and the Coupe de France with Guingamp.