Katsina United have been fined ₦2 million by the Euromatch-NPFL after supporters encroached onto the pitch during their Matchday 10 fixture against Plateau United, with the league citing security failures that compromised the safety of players and officials.
The sanctions followed a 2–2 draw at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Saturday, 24 October, where the hosts recovered from two goals down to rescue a point in stoppage time. But the result was followed by disciplinary action over events involving supporters inside the stadium.
In its official update, the league said Katsina United had breached the NPFL27 Framework and Rules after failing to provide adequate security, allowing unauthorised persons to gain access to restricted areas.
The club was fined ₦1 million for failing to provide adequate and effective security and another ₦1 million after its supporters encroached onto the field of play. The league said the encroachment compromised the safety of players and match officials.
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The disciplinary action came after a match in which Katsina United looked destined for defeat before producing a late recovery.
Plateau United took the lead in the 30th minute when Victor Dawa’s corner was turned into his own net by Umar Rabiu. The visitors held their advantage into the second half and moved closer to victory when Jibril Ibrahim doubled their lead in the 82nd minute.
Katsina United responded almost immediately. Substitute Yusha’u Armiya’u reduced the deficit two minutes later, giving the home side renewed hope of salvaging a result.
Rabiu then redeemed himself in stoppage time, scoring from close range to make it 2–2 and deny Plateau United what appeared to be a valuable away victory.
The equalizer completed a dramatic turnaround for Katsina United, who avoided their first home defeat of the season. However, the subsequent crowd control concerns have now brought a financial penalty from the league.
Why the league imposed two separate fines
The Euromatch-NPFL treated the security failure and the pitch encroachment as separate breaches, imposing a ₦1 million fine for each offence.
The league’s statement said inadequate security allowed unauthorised persons to access restricted areas. It also cited the encroachment by Katsina United supporters, which it said put the safety of players and officials at risk.
The total fine is ₦2 million. Unlike the sanctions imposed on Warri Wolves in a separate disciplinary case, the measures announced against Katsina United do not include a points deduction, goals deduction or an order to play home matches behind closed doors.
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The club has 48 hours described by the league as two working days from the date of the notice to appeal the sanctions.
The disciplinary announcement places the focus on stadium security and crowd control, with the league making clear that clubs can face financial consequences when failures in those areas compromise the safety of players and officials.
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