Kaduna Utd Officially Protests Assault In Ilorin

Premier League side, Kaduna United, would officially lodge a complaint against against Kwara United and its fans on Tuesday following an attack on its players and officials after a match last Saturday.

Naijaligue.blogspot.com was informed by the spokesman, Abdurahman Tonga, that Kaduna United chairman, Sabo Babayaro, sustained a serious injury and had to be stitched three times in the head.

Tonga said trouble began even before the game during the pre-match meeting when fans of Kwara United tried to intimidate the visiting side.

The Kaduna United official claimed that at half-time when the match was still goalless, fans of the Afonja Warriors took laws into their hands by threatening to kill players and officials of the visiting side.

Kaduna United also alleged that it was not allowed to use the dressing room at half-time by the irate fans in Ilorin.

“Our chairman was really injured and he had to have three stitches on his head. From the pre-match meeting they tried to intimidate us but we did not succumb to their antics. During the game, they did not even allow us go into the dressing room, and it continued like that till the end of the game when they attacked our bus and injured our chairman and beat our players, and destroyed the windscreen of our bus,” a statement from Kaduna United’s media officer claimed.

But in reaction to the allegation, Kwara United vice chairman, Abdulrasaq Owolabi Wopa, explained that Babayaro tried to intimidate the referee after Kwara United scored its second goal via a spot kick converted by Isiaka Olawale with five minutes left in the game.

Wopa countered that Babayaro stood up to the reserve referee and centre referee, and that his antics infuriated fans of Kwara United, adding that players of the visiting side also resorted to throwing satchet water also known as pure water to stands where fans were watching from.

The Kwara United chief believes that Kaduna United’s antics were targeted at winning cheap points.

“There is no way a home side will resort to violence after winning a match. They tried to anger the fans. For example Kaduna United chairman, Babayaro, went to the reserve referee and harassed him and did same to the centre referee. His players were also busy throwing pure water at the fans. All these are familiar antics to anger the fans so that they can score cheap board room points. Even at that we organized some policemen to guide them to their bus. So all what they are saying are lies,” Wopa told Naijaligue.blogspot.com.

The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) said it has been informed by the situation and would take action immediately the match report is submitted by the match commissioner and referee.

“Kaduna United has informed us about what happened in Ilorin and we are waiting for the official match report,” NPL’s Head of Competitions, Tunji Babalola, told Naijaligue.blogspot.com.