Wikki Tourists Clarify Circumstances Surrounding Injury to Katsina United Chairman

Wikki Tourists Football Club has issued an official statement addressing the circumstances surrounding the injury sustained by Katsina United Chairman, Surajo Malumfashi, during the chaotic Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 25 fixture between both sides in Bauchi.

In the statement, the Bauchi-based club acknowledged that Malumfashi did not formally communicate his presence at the stadium and was seated on the reserve bench designated for team officials, contrary to matchday protocol.

The encounter, which was abandoned on Sunday following crowd unrest after Katsina United equalised to make it 3–3, was eventually completed on Monday morning. During the disruption, the centre referee was replaced by the reserve official, while Malumfashi reportedly sustained a head injury amid the confusion.

Wikki Tourists said it only became aware of the incident after a viral video surfaced online, showing the Katsina United chairman receiving medical attention at a hospital. However, the club stressed that the exact circumstances leading to the injury remain unclear to its management.

While strongly condemning all forms of violence, Wikki Tourists emphasised that it would not tolerate the maltreatment of any guest or official at its home venue under any circumstances.

The club further explained that match organisers were unaware of Malumfashi’s presence at the stadium, as his name was neither recorded nor announced during the mandatory pre-match coordination meeting.

According to the statement, Match Commissioner Blessing David confirmed that Malumfashi was seated on the Katsina United reserve bench at the time of the incident—an area strictly reserved for match officials and duly accredited team personnel. Wikki Tourists maintained that the Katsina United chairman was neither expected nor authorised to occupy that space.

The club added that further clarification with the Match Commissioner confirmed Malumfashi did not formally announce his presence at the venue, as required under NPFL matchday regulations.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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