Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel midfielder, John Ugochukwu Ogu has called for calm among his family, friends and fans, following reports that he has been hit with a death threat at his base in The Land of Milk and Honey.
In the wake of reports that a section of rival ultra-fans have thrown words of warning at him, Ogu said he is safe, since the Israeli police have waded into the matter, and assured his well-wishers back home in Nigeria that there is no cause for alarm.
This comes on the heels of taunts against Ogu in a video that has gone viral on the internet, showing a masked leader of the ultras, La-Familia dressed in the colours of rival club, Beitar Jerusalem.
The masked man, armed with a gun, called out Ogfu’;s name, as he threatened: “John, we come and we are waiting… You should run away.”
However, the police in Israel are now investigating a death threat issued against Ogu by the extremist group of fans from the rival Israeli club.
Ogu has enjoyed his best spell in Europe with Be’er Sheva, helping them win the Israeli Premier League title back-to-back and featuring in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.