Enyimba FC have been charged for breaching the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Framework and Rules following incidents during their Matchday 21 fixture against Barau FC on January 18, 2026.
According to the NPFL, the Aba-based club failed to provide adequate and effective security for the match, which allowed unauthorized persons to gain access to restricted areas of the stadium.
Enyimba were also found guilty of failing to ensure proper conduct of their supporters, a lapse that led to the harassment of match officials. The situation escalated further after supporters encroached into restricted zones and reportedly held the match officials hostage for several hours after the game.
The league body added that the misconduct of Enyimba supporters resulted in the loss of valuable items belonging to the match officials, an act deemed capable of bringing the game into disrepute.
As a result of the breaches, Enyimba have been fined a total of ₦5 million. The sanctions include a ₦2 million fine for failing to provide adequate and effective security, ₦1 million for encroachment into restricted areas, and an additional ₦2 million—₦1 million each—for supporters’ misconduct and holding match officials hostage.
In addition to the financial penalties, Enyimba will play their next three home matches behind closed doors.
The People’s Elephant have been given 48 hours from the date of notice to appeal the sanctions.
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.
