John Obuh, Chairman of Abia Warriors FC, Umuahia, has made a strong and a clearest demand for justice as regards their 'inexplicable' 2-1 defeat at Katsina United on Saturday, 23rd March, 2024.

Obuh said his team places more value on the one point they legitimately worked for and deservedly earned in the game instead of the suspension of the referee by the Referees Committee of the NFF.

The NPFL match Day 26 was brought to a disgraceful end after the referee inexplicably chalked off Abia Warriors late goal that would have ended the game at 2-2 final scoreline.

Reports suggest that the referee, Abdulmalik Abdulmalik, had sounded for a goal and pointed to the center circle. But it was alleged that while the ball was about to be restarted, the match commissioner called the referee and after their discussion, the referee at this point disallowed the goal.

Irked by the referee Abdulmalik's decision to overule the goal after he had earlier acknowledged it a a goal, the Nigeria Football Federatiin NFF, Refereeing Development Committee on Monday sanctioned Abdulmalik, stepping him down from NPFL games till further notice.

In the letter dated March 24, 2024, and signed by Mohammed Areemu, its secretary, fòr the Chairman, NFF Refereeing Development Committee, Abdulmalik was put in the cooler and will take no further part in NPFL matches officiating until further notice.

The Committee noted that Abdulmalik's actions in the have put the game into disrepute.

"In view of your decisions that adversely affects not only the outcome of the match between Katsina United FC and Abia Warriors FC played on Sunday 24th March, 2024, in Katsina, but your actions equally brings the game to disrepute, I'm directed to notify you that you've been stepped down with effect from the league till further notice", Abdulmalik's suspension letter reads.

However, Abia Warriors Chairman, John Obuh, while reacting to referee Abdulmalik's suspension on Monday, noted that what was important and which would serve as the 'fairest justice' was for the one point denied his team in the game as a result of the referee's decision to be restored to his club.

In Obuh's thinking, since its clear there was miscarriage of justice against his club during the game by the referee, the best thing to do would be to restore the point denied his team during the game.

"Stepping down the referee isn't my worry. Now it's clear we were wrong denied a point in the game.

"This fact has been established. So, what's important, to us, is to have the point restored for us", Obuh, a former U17 Golden Eaglets and later U20 Flying Eagles Coach demanded.