Nigeria’s Esther Oyema has been handed a four-year ban by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) after she committed an anti-doping rule violation.

The former Paralympic champion and Para powerlifting star, who won gold at London 2012 in the Women’s 48kg, returned an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance in a urine sample provided on 28 January 2019 after competing at the Lagos 2019 International Para Powerlifting Competition in Nigeria.

The substance, 19-norandrosterone, is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2019 Prohibited List under the class S1.1B Endogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) and their Metabolites and isomers.

And each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample.

Oyema will be ineligible for competition for four years effective from 3 May 2019 to 2 May 2023.

She has also been stripped of the gold medal which she won in the Women’s 55kg competition in Lagos, together with any points and laurels.

A statement from the IPC reads: ”As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels.

“The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.”