Former Nigerian football international Tijani Babangida has revealed that his wife, Maryam Waziri, lost an eye following plastic surgery in the Netherlands.
Speaking in an interview with his former club, Ajax Amsterdam, Babangida recounted the harrowing events that followed a tragic car accident involving his family on the Kaduna-Zaria highway on May 9, 2024.
Maryam Waziri, a former Kannywood film star, married Babangida in November 2021. The accident claimed the lives of Babangida’s younger brother, Ibrahim Babangida, who died instantly, and his six-month-old son, Fadil, who succumbed to injuries days later. Their housekeeper sustained a broken leg, while Babangida himself suffered a leg injury.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Babangida said, “The worries I’ve gone through will never leave me.”
To support his wife’s recovery, Babangida took her to the Netherlands for specialized treatment. However, Maryam’s condition left her with severe memory loss. “After spending three months here in the Netherlands, I told her about the accident and our little son. She started asking me what his name was. She can’t remember anything,” he said.
Babangida expressed gratitude to his football colleagues in the Netherlands for their support, stating that they raised funds to assist him with his wife’s treatment. He added that Maryam would need to remain in the hospital for at least a year to complete her recovery.
The former footballer’s resilience and determination to help his wife through this challenging period have drawn admiration from his supporters and friends alike.
