NPLF Fines Shooting Stars, Bans Fans After Ikorodu City Attack

The Nigeria Premier Football League has levied a N5 million penalty on Shooting Stars Sports Club due to an assault by their supporters on the Ikorodu City delegation at Lekan Salami Stadium.

Following their scoreless match on Sunday, Ikorodu City’s players and officials required the assistance of Nigerian Army personnel to safely leave the stadium in Ibadan.

Reports indicate that on Sunday, after the goalless draw in the Southwest derby at Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, enraged Shooting Stars fans detained Ikorodu City Football Club’s players and officials.

Samuel Bamisebi, Ikorodu City’s director of media and communication, explained that the visiting team was “locked inside the stadium to prevent the angry fans outside from coming inside”.

He further noted that some furious 3SC supporters vandalized one of the buses that had transported Ikorodu City’s fans from Lagos to the stadium.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the NPFL declared that 3SC “was found guilty of all three counts for failure to provide adequate security, failure to ensure proper conduct of their supporters resulting in the attack on the opponents and throwing of objects to the field of play and the referees”.

The league authority imposed a N1 million fine for each of the three charges and mandated an additional N2 million payment to cover the cost of damage to Ikorodu City’s bus.

The NPFL also directed that Lekan Salami Stadium be closed to spectators for the remainder of the season.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli