NFF HAMMER FALLS ON PLAYERS, CLUBS IN NATIONAL LEAGUE

Olabisi Olagunju, OghaleAbuja, Aug. 28, 2016 – The Nigerian Football Federation(NFF) at the weekend descended heavily on players and clubs in the national league, giving red cards to two players, Mr. Oghale of Delta Force and Olabisi Olagunju of Prime FC.

The NFF Disciplinary committee made known its decision in a communique after a meeting in Abuja, during which it placed three match bans on Olagunju for assaulting a referee and one year match ban on Oghale and Mr. Chidi Okonkwo the general manager of Delta Force FC for assaulting the Centre Referee. The NFF also imposed various fines, running into several millions on clubs and banishing others away from their home to play behind closed door.

The NFF committee placed two match bans on Mr. Julius Atete of J. Atete FC for abandoning match in the field of play. “The club shall in addition pay a fine of N500,000.00 to League Management Committee within Fourteen (14) days”, the committee said.

The Committee also noted the inability of Crown FC Officials to control the conduct of their supporters, leading to vandalization of J. Atete Team Bus and consequently imposed a fine of N1000,000 on Crown FC. The Committee also directs the NNL to ensure that the next two home matches of Crown FC are played under closed door.

In the case involving Prime FC and Remo Stars, the committee found Prime FC Guilty of gross misconduct and placed a one Year Ban on their supporters .

The Committee also placed a fine of N1,000,000.00 on Prime FC for inability to control behaviour of their spectators and banished the team to play their remaining league home matches at Ilorin Kwara State.

The Committee also directed the NNL to quantify the cost of items lost by the officials i.e 3 stopwatches, 2 flags, 1 yellow card and communicate a refund of the cost to the management of Prime FC.

In the case involving Mighty Jets and Kaduna United, the committee frowned at their inability to attend the hearing and adopted the interim decisions taken by the NNL and noted that the act of refusal to continue play contravenes Article 4.2(4).

“Consequently, Kaduna Utd FC shall forfeit the match to its opponent Mighty Jets FC by 3 points 3 goals. Kaduna Utd FC shall in addition pay a fine of N500,000.00 only to the league within 14 days in accordance with Art.

In the matter involving Gombe and Taraba FC, the committee frowned at their inability to honour the invitation and upheld the interim decision of the NNL and fined FC Taraba N1,000,000 only in line with Art. 4.2(1).

“The Committee hereby awards 3 points 3 goals in line with Art. 4.2(2) to Gombe Utd FC. The Committee upholds the Interim Decision of the NNL and hereby fines Taraba FC N1,000,000only in line with Art. 4.2”, the committee said.

In the case involving Delta Force and Remo Stars, the
Committee refers to the NFF Integrity Officer for further Investigations the matter concerning the Mr. Chidi Okonkwo (GM of Delta Force FC) and that of Mr. Chike Eriobuna (Centre Referee) from Edo State Referees Council as it relates to the recovered N100,000 by the Police from Mr. Chike Eriobuna (Centre Referee) of Edo State.

The Committee also directed the Referees Appointment Committee to ensure that no further appointment is given to Mr. Chike Eriobuna of Edo State Referees Council pending the outcome of the Investigations and subsequent Decision of the NFF Disciplinary Committee.

The Committee also placed a fine of N1,000,000 on
Delta Force FC for inability to control the behaviour of their spectators and banished Delta Force FC to play their
last home match in Lokoja under close door in line with Art. 6.01.

in the case involving Sokoto United and Katsina United, the committee upheld outcome of the match in which Sokoto United 1 and Katsina United 0 and in addition placed a close door ban of one Home Match on Sokoto Utd FC after taking into cognisance their admission of the charge and their
appeal for leniency.

The Committee also upheld the Interim Decision of NNL and as such imposed N1,000,000 fine on Sokoto United for encroachment by their fans to the field of play in line with Art. 4.3(1).

In Malumfahsi and Halfa, the committee found Malumfashi FC guilty of non –compliance to the approval of the NNWLO that the match be played under closed doors as requested by Malumfashi FC and approved by the League Secretariat.

The committee ruled that that Malumfashi FC is guilty of encroachment after the goal was scored during the first half of the match and imposed a fine of N100,000 on the team.

The committee ruled that Halfa FC is guilty of refusing to continue the match without recourse to the approval by the Officiating Officials and consequently fined the club N100,000 and banished Malumfashi FC away from their home ground
and directs the Secretariat of the NNWLO to identify a neutral venue of equal distance to both teams for a continuation of the match from the commencement of the second half under closed door. The Committee also directed that the same set of officials should officiate the continuation of the match from the resumption of the second half.

In attendance during the hearing are Musa Amadu, Esq (Chairman), Prof. Olufemi Adegbola ADEGBESAN (Vice-Chairman), Kelvin C. OMOUJINE, Esq (Member), Adanmu Sani Osmond (Member), and Christian Ifeanyichukwu EMERUWA, Ph.D,(Secretary).