The Nationwide League One (NLO) has handed down heavy sanctions to Peace FC of Anambra after the club was found guilty of illegally registering and fielding players already tied to Nigeria National League (NNL) clubs.
According to the NLO Secretariat, the club breached player eligibility and amateur status regulations under Articles 3:01 (5), (8), (11), (13), and 9:02 of the league rules by submitting false registration documents.
The players named in the case are Abasim Henry of Solution FC, Mbakaogu Chibuike of EDEL FC, and Ekwo Stanley, also registered with Solution FC.
Nationwide League One has sanctioned Peace FC of Anambra for fielding ineligible players registered with NNL clubs, imposing fines, suspensions, forfeited matches, and a 12-month ban on a club official.
The violations were reportedly uncovered during a routine verification exercise conducted by the league, prompting disciplinary proceedings against the Anambra-based side.
After its sitting on May 19, 2026, the NLO Disciplinary Committee ruled that Peace FC committed serious misconduct capable of undermining the integrity and credibility of the amateur league structure.
As part of the punishment, the club will forfeit all matches in which the ineligible players featured. Opponents in those fixtures will be awarded three points and a 3-0 scoreline, or retain any higher winning margin already recorded.
Peace FC was also fined N500,000, with the payment expected to be made to the NLO Secretariat within seven days.
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The disciplinary committee further suspended the club from all NLO competitions for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season, while also placing the team on probation for the next two seasons.
The league warned that any further breach during the probationary period could lead to stiffer sanctions, including possible expulsion from the league.
In addition, the club official held responsible for the infractions has been banned from all football-related activities under the NLO for 12 months.
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The ruling takes immediate effect, although Peace FC retains the right to appeal the verdict before the Nigeria Football Federation Appeals Committee within 72 hours, in line with the league’s appeals process.
