Violence erupted at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Sunday evening after Shooting Stars (3SC) of Ibadan scored a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser to snatch a 1-1 draw against Kano Pillars in a Matchday 8 fixture of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL).
Shortly after the away team scored, furious Kano Pillars supporters stormed the pitch, physically assaulting the referee, match officials, and Shooting Stars players. The chaotic scenes forced security operatives to fire teargas in a desperate bid to restore order.
Pictures from the stadium showed dozens of fans wielding sticks and other objects, breaking through the security cordon before charging at officials, who fled toward the tunnel for safety.
The confrontation began immediately after Shooting Stars equalised deep into stoppage time, a goal that infuriated sections of the home crowd, who accused the referee of bias. Eyewitnesses said several match officials narrowly escaped assault, while players and coaches from both sides rushed off the field amid the chaos.
“It was total confusion. Once Shooting Stars scored, the fans lost control. They jumped the barriers, ran onto the pitch, and started chasing the referee. Security had to fire teargas to push them back,” a journalist at the stadium narrated.
The incident echoes a previous NPFL crowd disturbance in April at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, where Shooting Stars fans reportedly held players, coaches, referees, and journalists hostage for over an hour after a goalless match against Ikorodu City. Military personnel had to intervene to disperse the crowd and evacuate those trapped in the dressing rooms.
Samuel Bamisebi, spokesperson for Ikorodu City FC, confirmed that while no players or officials were physically harmed during that earlier incident, fans sustained injuries and property damage. “Our fans were attacked. Their bus was destroyed, and some were injured. Phones and other belongings were taken during the chaos,” he said.
Bamisebi also addressed speculations that the stadium lights were intentionally turned off to intimidate the visiting team. “The lights went off throughout the stadium, not only in our dressing rooms. None of our players or officials were injured,” he said.
The Nigerian Premier Football League and stadium authorities are yet to release official statements on the Kano Pillars–Shooting Stars clash, but the incident has raised serious concerns about fan violence and security at NPFL matches.
The post Angry Kano Pillars Fans Attack Referee, Shooting Stars Players, Officials After Late Equaliser In Kano NPFL Match appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
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