Nigeria Leagues
Ahmed Musa condemns Kano Pillars violence, vows reforms to restore club’s image
By Dayo Awoniyi
Former Nigeria captain and current General Manager of Kano Pillars, Ahmed Musa, has publicly condemned the violent scenes that marred his club’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match against Shooting Stars on Sunday.
The Matchday 8 fixture, played at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, descended into chaos after the final whistle, with reports of attacks on players and officials from the visiting team.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Musa described the incident as “heartbreaking, shameful, and completely unacceptable,” insisting it does not reflect the true values or legacy of Kano Pillars.
“What transpired against Shooting Stars is heartbreaking, shameful, and completely unacceptable. It does not represent the true values, identity, or proud history of Kano Pillars,” Musa wrote.
The former Leicester City and Al Nassr forward extended apologies to the affected players, match officials, the NPFL board, league partner GTI, and football fans across Nigeria. He emphasized that violence has no place in football.
“Football is meant to unite, to inspire, to bring joy. When it turns into scenes of chaos and harm, we must not pretend it away — we must confront it head-on,” he stated.
Musa assured the public that Kano Pillars will fully cooperate with the NPFL and relevant authorities in investigating the incident and bringing those responsible to justice. He also promised sweeping internal reforms to prevent future occurrences.
“We understand that apologies alone are not enough. Words must be followed by action. We will take huge steps internally to ensure that something like this never happens again,” he added.
Addressing the club’s supporters, Musa urged them to express their passion positively, without resorting to violence.
“True support is shown not through violence, but through respect, passion, and discipline. This must be a turning point for us.”
He concluded by taking full responsibility as club administrator and pledged to work tirelessly to rebuild the club’s image and uphold the integrity of Nigerian football.
Meanwhile, the NPFL board and its partners are expected to launch a formal investigation into the incident, with disciplinary measures likely to follow for the Kano-based club.
