The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has sanctioned five centre referees and three assistant referees over questionable actions and decisions during recent matches.
According to a statement signed by Mohammed Ameenu, for the Chairman, NFF Refereeing Development Committee, the decision was taken as part of efforts to curb excesses among match officials and safeguard the integrity of the game.
The affected centre referees are:
Michael Adepoju (FCT)
Anthony Eze (FCT)
Nurah Abdullahi (Zamfara)
Ahmed M. Usman (NG)
The assistant referees sanctioned are:
Peter Ogwu (Benue)
Aduba Ngbede (FCT)
Ekpouko Ubong (Akwa Ibom)
“In its decision to curb excesses of refereeing officials in matches and to protect and preserve the integrity of the game, the underlisted sanctions against referees and assistant referees whose actions and decisions were found to be questionable have been implemented,” the statement read.
The NFF reiterated its commitment to improving officiating standards across domestic competitions, warning that officials who fall short of expected professionalism will continue to face disciplinary action.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
