Ex-Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has laughed off rumour of his death and insists he is hale and hearty.
Reports in the online media alleged that the 42-year-old passed away on Thursday in a South African hospital.
However, West, the man at the centre of the debacle, has joined his ex-teammates and close associates to rebuff such negative reports.
“I received calls telling me to check Facebook about news of my death. I saw reports of my death and people were commenting,” the former Inter Milan defender told Punch.
“I just laughed. I’ve never received such number of calls all my life. From US, UK, all over the world.”
West, who starred for Nigeria at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, however was quick to take away the positives from the fiasco of which he claims reunited him with old friends and acquaintances.
“All the people I had lost contact with were calling, thinking I had kicked the bucket. But it helped me in reuniting with these people,” West revealed.
“That’s God’s work, when the devil means evil for you, God turns it to good for His children. I didn’t travel. I only went to the American Embassy last Tuesday; I never travelled after that.”
The 42-capped ex-international, who is now a full-time pastor, claims he had a premonition that something evil was going to happen, after a series of spiritual attack.
“It’s the handwork of the devil; they struck but they couldn’t get me. Last week, I had a revelation, in which I was heavily attacked but they couldn’t get me,” he added.
“They also tried it in the physical but they didn’t succeed. So, when they couldn’t kill me, they resorted to the rumour of my death. It wasn’t an ordinary thing.
“But when they can’t get you, they must join you in celebrating with you. That’s what’s happening now.”
