By Gowon Akpodonor
Hooliganism between supporters of rival football clubs is not unique to Nigeria. But its destructive effect seems to be more visible in the nation’s league.
In the glorious days of football, players, football administrators and the fans adored referees.
All over the world, referees are major actors in the game of soccer, which helps to bring people from different backgrounds together, and in the process, break down barriers created by ignorance.
It is no secret that in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), many of the clubs deliberately lose on away grounds, gifting the home sides cheap penalties because they want to avoid the wrath of the home fans. To pick three points at away grounds and still be safe, a visiting team must totally outclass the home team in such a way that the fans would see no grounds for agitation.
At a point, the Nigerian leagu032e was rated the best in Africa. But the frequent cases of hooliganism across many match venues have cast a dark shadow over its development.
Some years ago, Kadiri Ikhana led Enyimba FC of Aba to a league match in Kaduna. He returned to Aba limping after his legs were badly damaged following an attack by hooligans in Kaduna. It took weeks of intensive medical care for Ikhana to walk again.
A referee, Paul Umuagu, and his assistants, Auwalu Barau and Abdulwaheed Dauda, got the beatings of their lives when Aba fans pounced on them in a match between Enyimba and Heartland FC of Owerri.
The game ended in a draw but supporters of Enyimba were not satisfied, turning their anger on the match officials. By the time the dust settled, all three men were left lying critically on the treatment table.
Barau, the unluckiest of the bunch, who was hit with stones, metal bars and sharp objects, never fully recovered from the injuries and trauma until he died in December 2011.
After awarding a penalty to Kwara United, fans of the opposing team invaded the pitch in protest, turning on anyone seen as an enemy. Ozigbo was caught in the melee. Till this moment, the memories still haunt him.
The 2019 NPFL league was barely three weeks old, when violence erupted in the match between Remo Stars and Bendel Insurance at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu.
For years, Bendel Insurance played in the lower division before it got promoted to the elite league last season. Their visit to Sagamu on January 20 was almost tragic for the referee Bethel Nwanesi, who officiated the match. Supporters of the home side attacked him after the match ended 1-1 draw.
The supporters, who were not impressed with the way the game ended, beat Nwanesi mercilessly. Like Bendel Insurance FC, Remo Stars also recently gained promotion from the lower division to the NPFL.
Before that sad incident in Sagamu, the league had witnessed a violent clash on the opening day of the season in the game between Plateau United and FC Ifeanyi Ubah in Jos. Supporters of the home team attacked the match officials.
The League Management Company (LMC), placed a fine of N5 million on Plateau United, and banished the team to Ilorin for three home matches. Plateau United were the champions at the end of the 2017 NPFL season.
Apart from the N5 million fine and banishment to a new venue, the LMC also gave Plateau United within seven days to identify and ensure the apprehension and prosecution by relevant security agencies of one Attahiru Babayo, who was named by the match officials for leading the assault.
Failure to ensure that Attahiru Babayo and other culprits were apprehended and prosecuted would lead to Plateau United paying a fine of N25, 000 per day until the culprits were brought to book.
Read Full Story: [TheGuardian]
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