Abia Warriors have been fined a total of ₦3.25 million by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) for security failures and an incident involving a member of the league’s broadcast partner during their Matchday 10 fixture against Niger Tornadoes on Sunday.
The Umuahia-based club was found guilty of violating the NPFL27 Framework and Rules after failing to provide adequate security as agreed during the pre-match technical meeting.
According to the league’s disciplinary notice, an official of Abia Warriors also allegedly harassed a crew member of the NPFL’s broadcast partner in an attempt to disrupt the live transmission of the encounter.
The league considered the incident conduct capable of bringing the game into disrepute.
Breakdown of Abia Warriors’ NPFL Fines
As part of the sanctions, Abia Warriors have been fined ₦1 million for failing to provide the security arrangements agreed upon during the technical meeting.
The club was handed an additional ₦2 million fine for attempting to interfere with the live broadcast of the match.
Abia Warriors have also been directed to pay ₦250,000 in compensation to the affected broadcast crew member to cover the cost of treatment for the injury sustained during the incident.
The sanctions bring the club’s total financial penalty to ₦3.25 million.
Abia Warriors Multimedia Officer Suspended
In a further disciplinary measure, Abia Warriors multimedia officer, Chidera Favour Igwe, has been suspended from all NPFL27 activities for five matches.
The suspension applies to both home and away fixtures and follows his alleged involvement in the attempt to disrupt the live broadcast and the harassment of a crew member of the league’s broadcast partner.
The punishment means Igwe will be barred from participating in NPFL27 activities for the duration of the five-match suspension.
Abia Warriors Given 48 Hours to Appeal
Despite the sanctions, Abia Warriors retain the right to challenge the disciplinary decisions.
The NPFL has given the club 48 hours, calculated within the stipulated working-day period from the date of the notice, to appeal the sanctions.
The disciplinary action underscores the league’s emphasis on adequate matchday security, the safety of broadcast personnel and the protection of live match coverage.
Clubs participating in the NPFL are expected to comply with competition regulations and ensure that players, officials, media personnel and other authorised individuals can carry out their duties without interference.
