Abia Govt Publishes Photos Of Eyimba FC Players Battered By Rival Fans In Jos

Plateau United Football Club supporters allegedly attacked and injured some players of Enyimba FC, after a Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, match in Jos.

It was gathered that the incident happened after the visitors (Enyimba players) held the home side Plateau United to a goalless draw in Jos, in a match-day 29 fixture on Sunday.

The Abia State Government on Sunday evening posted the pictures of some of the players seriously injured during the attack on its official Facebook page.

“Please what type of football league will allow this to happen merely because the visiting team got a draw?”, the government asked in a post accompanying the photos.

Defender, Danladi Timothy, and goalkeeper, Sabirou Bassa-Djeri, were among players who sustained wounds following the attack.

After the match, the fans invaded the football pitch and pounced on players and officials of the visiting team.

Journalists who were trying to record the ugly scene with their devices received their own share of the beating.

Reacting to the development, the Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, described the attack on players of Enyimba FC as barbaric.

“We call on the authorities of NPFL to fully investigate the incident and sanction those found culpable as we will not condone any further attacks on our high flying players and fans under any guise. Failure to do the needful will compel us to consider all options including stopping the team from playing at hostile stadiums where their lives are endangered.

“Football fans must realize that it is only a game and not a mortal combat. In the game of football there are 3 possible outcomes: win, lose or draw. None of those outcomes should lead to violence of any kind” he said.