By Dayo Awoniyi
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has imposed a N5 million fine on Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) following security breaches that led to an attack on Ikorodu City’s contingent during their Matchday 32 fixture at the Lekan Salami Stadium.
This ruling is a significant setback for Shooting Stars, who will now play the rest of their home fixtures without fan support, while also facing financial consequences due to the imposed fine.
The fine includes N3 million for Shooting Stars and an additional N2 million to cover damages to Ikorodu City’s bus. In addition, the club has been ordered to close the stadium to fans for the remainder of the season.
Shooting Stars were found guilty on three charges by the NPFL’s disciplinary panel: failure to provide adequate security, failure to control their supporters, and throwing objects onto the pitch and at referees. The club faces N1 million fines for each of these offenses.
The ruling stated: “You are in breach of Rule C9 of the Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Premier Football League, as on Sunday, 6th April 2025, during the match between Shooting Stars and Ikorodu City, you failed to ensure the proper conduct of your supporters, leading to the assault on the away team.”
The panel also stressed that clubs must take full responsibility for the actions of their fans to ensure safety and security at matches.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
