Saraki, said he was "deeply devastated" by the news. The former Super Eagles midfielder was until his death, the head coach of the Kwara Football Academy (KFA) in Ilorin.

"This is indeed a sad development for the growth of sport in Nigeria," Saraki said. Continuing, Saraki said: "Oliha gave his best to his country and club to the admiration of his colleagues; he will be remembered by Kwarans and Nigerians for his exploit as a coach at the Kwara State Football Academy in Ilorin. He was such a dedicated young man with the ambition to rise to the pinnacle of his coaching career. He will be sorely missed by all sport lovers. My thoughts and prayers are with the Oliha's family and the siblings he left behind as they go through this moment of grief. "I commiserate with the Nigeria Football Association and the Kwara State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN). Such a loss is tragic beyond words."