NPFL fines Warri Wolves ₦4.2m, docks three points after referee assault in Ozoro
- Warri Wolves were punished for poor security that let a supporter assault a match official after Sunday's game against Kano Pillars.
- The club loses three points and three goals, pays ₦4.2m in fines and plays three home games behind closed doors.
- Katsina United and Abia Warriors were also sanctioned over separate Matchday 10 incidents.
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has sanctioned Warri Wolves after a match official was assaulted following their Matchday 10 home game against Kano Pillars on Sunday at the Southern Delta University Stadium in Ozoro.
The league announced the charges on its official X account. It said the club failed to provide adequate security, allowing unauthorised people into restricted areas, and that a Warri Wolves supporter assaulted the match officials after the final whistle.
According to the NPFL, the second assistant referee suffered an injury to his nose and was bleeding. The league's statement also referred to the first assistant referee being assaulted outside the stadium.
What the sanctions mean for Warri Wolves
The club has been fined ₦2 million for failing to provide adequate and effective security, and another ₦2 million for the assault on the match official. It will also pay ₦250,000 as compensation to the injured assistant referee for treatment.
On the pitch, three points and three goals will be deducted from Warri Wolves' tally. The club must play its next three home matches behind closed doors, which means no fans in the stadium and lost matchday income for the Seasiders.
The NPFL also ordered Warri Wolves to identify the person who assaulted the official and provide evidence of prosecution within seven days. The club has 48 hours from the date of the notice to appeal.
Katsina United and Abia Warriors also charged
The NPFL issued sanctions to two other clubs over separate Matchday 10 incidents, also announced on its X account on Monday night.
Katsina United were fined ₦1 million for failing to provide adequate security in their game against Plateau United, and another ₦1 million after their supporters encroached on the pitch, which the league said compromised the safety of players and officials.
Abia Warriors were fined ₦1 million for failing to provide adequate security as agreed at the technical meeting in their match against Niger Tornadoes. They were fined a further ₦2 million after an official tried to disrupt the live broadcast by harassing a crew member of the league's broadcast partner.
The club will also pay ₦250,000 as compensation to the affected crew member. Abia Warriors multimedia officer Chidera Favour Igwe is suspended from all NPFL activities for five matches, home and away.
Both clubs have 48 hours from the date of the notice to appeal.
What happens next: Warri Wolves have 48 hours from the date of the notice to appeal, and the club has seven days to name the person who assaulted the official and show evidence of prosecution. Until then, the points deduction and the closed-door order stand, and the club's next home games will be played without supporters.
