By Obaseki Anthony on November 24, 2019

•LMC renews resolve to stamp out assault on Match Officials

•Fines Nasarawa United and orders Home matches behind Closed Doors

•Bans Club Curator for life from NPFL Match venues

•Suspends Player, Seun Komolafe for one year

•Fines and Cautions Media Officer, Eche Moses

Following disturbances at the end of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 4 fixture in Lafia, the League Management Company (LMC) has imposed sanctions on Nasarawa United, one of its players and two backroom staff.

The club will now play all its home matches behind closed door indefinitely with some financial penalties while the player, Paul Seun Komolafe, will serve a one-year ban. The Curator, Aliyu Mohammed Hamzat, is to serve a life ban from all NPFL match venues and activities and the Media Officer, Eche Moses, has been fined and cautioned. All sanctions are to commence immediately.

Komolafe is to serve a one-year ban starting immediately for accosting and assaulting the match officials and for inciting the club supporters to commit violence against match officials in the match against Plateau United in breach of Rule C11 and C1.3.

Hamzat, the club’s Curator, has been banned for life from participating in all NPF) match venues and activities for leading the attack on the Referee and other match officials in violation of Rule C11 of the Framework and Rules of the NPFL.

Moses was cited for breach of Rule C1 for releasing or causing to be released, a written press statement unfairly criticising match officials, a conduct deemed capable of bringing the League to disrepute. He is to pay a fine of N100,000 with a warning to desist from such conduct.

Nasarawa United were charged for breaches of Rule B13.18, B13.52.1, B13.52.2 and C1 for which the club was fined a cumulative fine of N4,250,000 including a N1,250,000 compensation for the match officials.

Under Rule B1.18, the club was charged for the action of its supporters who threw objects including stones towards match officials. This attracted a fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) while another fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) was also imposed on the club for failure to ensure adequate crowd control and prevention of access by unauthorised persons to restricted area which led to the attack on Match officials as they headed to the dressing room; considered a breach of Rule B13.52.1 and B13.52.2.

Nasarawa United was also charged for breach of Rule C1, punishable by virtue of Rule B15.17 for conducts capable of bringing the game to disrepute through the action of some of its supporters, a player and an officer of the club in assaulting match officials and causing disturbances. This also attracted a fine of N1 million and another N1,250,000 to be paid as compensation to the match officials pursuant to Rule C12 and in addition, be responsible for the costs of all verified medical expenses of the assaulted match officials. Nasarawa United has 10 working days to pay the imposed fines otherwise further disciplinary actions will be imposed.

The LMC further issued an order of closure of gates to fans for all Nasarawa United home matches for an indefinite period but which can only be considered for review upon Nasarawa Utd complying with set out criteria to improve security in venue and proper fan engagement. Such review may be done under three conditions to be met by the club and which includes organising an orientation program for its supporters to be supervised by the LMC and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), providing barricades that will restrict access by unauthorised persons from the stands to the dressing rooms of players and match officials and to liaise with relevant security agencies for the purpose of identifying and prosecuting perpetrators of the acts of violence and disturbances.

The club, its player and backroom staff are allowed 48 hours to respond in writing, either accepting the decisions or electing to be tried by the NFF Disciplinary Committee

•PHOTO: LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 24, 2019

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