Former Gor Mahia FC player Daniel Odhiambo alias Nicodemus Arudhi represented Harambee Stars in three matches against Togo, Mali and Cameroon in the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations.
Odhiambo preferred to be called by his father’s name Nicodemus Arudhi.
Having been a great player for both club and country, Odhiambo was said to be leading a double life: a footballer by day, a criminal by night.
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Off the pitch, reporters claimed that he used to rob people at night hence becoming one of Kenya's most wanted men in the 90’s.
The former Gor player was jailed several times having being charged with murder once. It was reported that his colleagues knew about his life outside the pitch but never reported it.
During his time as a footballer, players used to be paid allowances only. However, Odhiambo was said to be in possession of large amounts of money, and lived a lavish lifestyle, wearing expensive clothes and travelling using different means from his teammates.
His colleagues questioned his lavish lifestyle and further alleged that he was a loner who usually carried a pistol with him.
“He was my friend. Gentle, generous and very hard working. He was passionate about training. But he had a secret: the guy was a gangster!” his teammate Allan Thigo once stated in an interview.
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It was reported by one of his teammates that Odhiambo once stole an expensive suit from a man when they had gone to Paris in 1976.
As a footballer, he was such a crucial member of the Harambee Stars with reports stating that in 1965, he was temporarily released from prison to play for the national team,
He was accompanied by a heavily armed contingent of prison wardens who returned him back to serve his time after the game.
Even though he spent most of his time behind bars, records show that the footballer never missed training sessions unless he was in prison.
Reports also note that the player at times used to jump over the stadium fence during practice to escape from detention. However, his luck ran out in June 1981 when he was shot dead by the police.
According to an official report by the police, Odhiambo on June 21, 1981 had offered to surrender and lead the officers to the location where he hid his guns. The police reportedly gunned him down after he tried to escape.
His family was later paid by the government Ksh250,000 as compensation.
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