Posted by The PM News on
Enyimba Football Club are going through trying times in the wake of their fans unruly behaviour during a Week 8 Globacom Premier League tie against archrivals, Heartland Football Club of Owerri.
Enyimba Football Club are going through trying times in the wake of their fans unruly behaviour during a Week 8 Globacom Premier League tie against archrivals, Heartland Football Club of Owerri.
The fans had, in the course of the oriental game, beaten up the centre referee, Paul Umuaga, from Delta state, and his two assistants, Auwuelu Berau and Abdulwaheed Dauda, because of what they described as bad officiating. But since the ugly incident, the two-time African champions have known no rest.
The Nigerian Premier League Board (NPL), headed by Chief Oyuiki Obaseki, slammed an indefinite ban on the Aba International Stadium. The league body also banished the former Nigerian champions to Ilorin, from where they will now be playing their home matches behind closed doors.
Obaseki described the action of Enyimba fans as unfortunate, describing it as a show of shame. 'I'm disappointed about the action of the Enyimba fans. This ugly incident has shown that the Nigeria Premier League has a long way to go in terms of fans' temperament and fair play,' he said.
The Senate Committee on Sports is set to summon the NPL officials to answer questions concerning last weekend's fracas at Aba Stadium. The committee chairman, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said modern day football cannot condone such mayhem, which saw fans beat up match officials
'We've sent out a letter asking them to appear before us. We need to know the causes of this kind of shameful incident. This is a shame and embarrassment for the country, which just has to be stopped. Football is a game where anyone can win or lose, but they did not even lose. Why should their fans then storm the pitch? It's never done anywhere,' Lokpobiri fumed.
However, the Abia State Football Association chairman, Ephraim Chukwuemeka, has exonerated Enyimba fans from the assault on match officials, while the management of the club, led by Felix Anyansi Agwu, has condemned the action of fans who took laws into their hands during Sunday's game.
Chukwuemeka said hooligans, not true fans of the Aba Elephants, perpetrated the act, adding that people should desist from their continuous criticisms of Enyimba. Anyansi vowed to bring all involved to face the law which they have so heavily violated.