Credible sources who witnessed the aftermath of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) matchday 13 fixture between Nasarawa United and Plateau United at the Lafia Township Stadium have revealed how inadequate security at the stadium almost cost the life of one of the players.
SaharaReporters gathered that a football match that was expected to be thrilling turned violent on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Supporters of Nasarawa United invaded the pitch and violently attacked Plateau United player Vincent Temitope, stabbing him in the neck.
Although the match ended 3-2 in favour of the home team, Temitope’s stellar performance, scoring a goal and gaining a penalty (which he later missed), angered a section of the Nasarawa supporters who felt he had threatened their team.
Sources informed SaharaReporters that the stadium had inadequate security, with fewer than 20 police officers deployed by the Nasarawa Police Command to oversee a stadium filled with thousands of football fans.
This was why the armed fans found themselves easily distracted, reached the players, and attacked them, according to the sources.
“The atmosphere of the match was very intense, and it was during the match that home fans and Nasarawa United supporters started booing and threatening to attack,” a source who witnessed the incident said.
“So immediately after the final whistle, the Plateau United officials hurriedly told their players to leave the pitch, but the crowd quickly invaded it. And the police were overpowered.”
The source revealed that the number of security operatives deployed for the match was grossly inadequate.
“I have to say this, the total number of policemen deployed to the stadium for the match is not more than 20. Just imagine that. How can they monitor thousands of fans? It is not possible. If the security is tight and enough, the players and the match officials would have been well protected,” the eyewitness said.
Plateau United’s Director of Media Operations, Yaksat Maklek, also confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters. He said the attack directly responded to Temitope’s on-pitch brilliance.
Maklek added that the player was immediately rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lafia for emergency treatment.
“He was taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia where he was treated immediately and now he is fine. He is in stable condition,” he confirmed.
The incident has triggered nationwide outrage and once again cast a spotlight on the recurring problem of fan violence in Nigerian football, especially at NPFL venues.
Worryingly, the attack came barely a week after the NPFL Board granted provisional approval for Nasarawa United FC supporters to return to the Lafia Township Stadium, following a previous ban imposed over similar acts of misconduct earlier in the season.
The approval, which took effect from matchday 12 against Akwa United, came with a strict warning for improved security and fan discipline. But those conditions were clearly ignored.
In a statement last weekend, Nasarawa United’s Director of Media, Eche Amos, confirmed the lifting of the ban through a letter signed by Davidson Owumi, Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL.
“We are pleased to invite our loyal supporters to return and cheer the team to victory in an orderly manner,” Amos had stated, appealing to fans to observe all security protocols.
The club assured the league body that it would work closely with the Nasarawa State Football Association to ensure adequate security on matchdays.
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Police Command has promised to look into the matter.
© SaharaReporters