The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has come down hard on Kano Pillars Football Club, following the violent pitch invasion and assault on players and match officials during their Matchday 8 encounter with Shooting Stars Sports Club at the Sani Abacha Stadium.

 

In swift disciplinary action taken  after the chaotic scenes, the NPFL imposed a raft of sanctions, including:

• Deduction of 3 points and 3 goals

• Closure of the Sani Abacha Stadium for the rest of the season

• Relocation of home games to the Muhammad Dikko Stadium in Katsina

• Total fines amounting to ₦10.5 million

The NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, while announcing the sanctions in letters sent to Kano Pillars and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), reiterated the league’s zero-tolerance stance on violence.

 

“We will invoke the rules wherever and whenever required to keep bad behaviour of fans, players, and officials out of the league,” Owumi said.

In addition to the financial and competitive penalties, the NPFL also flagged the performance of match officials in the game. The centre referee Mohammed B. Tuta (Adamawa) and assistants Bem Japhet (Benue) and Shehu Isah (Adamawa) have been recommended for review and possible removal from future NPFL appointments.

 

Similarly, the officiating crew in the Nasarawa United vs Rangers fixture also came under scrutiny, with calls for performance reviews of referee Ikechukwu Taiwo (Rivers) and assistant referee Usman Opeyemi Edward (Osun).

Kano Pillars reserves the right to appeal the decisions. However, the NPFL has warned that frivolous appeals or failure of appeal may attract additional sanctions.

This is the latest in a string of disciplinary issues for Kano Pillars, a club with a large and passionate fan base, but one increasingly associated with repeated incidents of crowd trouble. The league’s stern action is seen as an attempt to restore order and credibility to the NPFL and send a clear message across all participating clubs.

 

Observers and stakeholders have lauded the league’s swift response, but many believe stricter enforcement and permanent deterrents will be necessary to stamp out violence from Nigerian football.