NPL Takes Over Security At Venues

To combat insecurity at Nigeria Premier League, NPL, matches, the league body will take over match venues from State Football Associations.

The NPL is to take over security arrangements from state football associations from this weekend in order to safe-guard the league, and to stop the escalating violence at match venues.

Owolabi Agbaji-Wopa, an NPL member revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Ilorin.

This pronouncement comes as a result of last weekend’s fracas in Enugu, when fans of Heartland invaded the pitch and beat up match officials in the game against Enyimba. Heartland lost the match 3-2, despite going two goals up earlier in the match.

Agbaji-Wopa used the occasion to warn clubs and their fans to desist from taking the law into their hands, and warned that any club that goes against NPL rules and regulations would be severely dealt with. He also told the clubs to prevail on their supporters to be of good behaviour.

“It is the poor security situation in most of the league venues that is affecting the television coverage of league matches,” Agbaji-Wopa said.

“We need teams to prevail on their supporters on the need to be well behaved at all times, especially during league matches.”