Barau FC midfielder Nana Abraham says he is “feeling much better” after receiving treatment from his club’s medical team following a violent attack during their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match against Katsina United on Saturday.
Abraham and club official Jabir Hassan were attacked moments after Barau FC’s 69th-minute equaliser, scored by Orji Kalu, in a Matchday 12 fixture at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.
The incident sparked chaos in the stands and forced the referee to halt play for nearly ten minutes as security personnel battled to restore order.
“Thank God I am feeling better right now. Our medical team did their best in treating my injuries,” Abraham said in a statement to the club’s media department on Sunday morning.
“It’s unfortunate what happened. Football is not a war you can either win, draw, or lose. We’ve played five home games, won one, drawn three, and lost one nothing happened. So why should we be attacked here?”
Abraham was seen bleeding from a neck wound as teammates and officials rushed to his aid. The match later resumed and ended in a 1–1 draw, but the disturbing scenes have drawn widespread condemnation across the Nigerian football community.
Photo Credit: Barau FC/X
In response to the incident, the NPFL on Sunday announced a ₦9 million fine for Katsina United and ordered the club to play all remaining home matches behind closed doors at a neutral venue in Jos.
In its statement, the league said the club breached multiple sections of its Framework and Rules, including failure to provide adequate security and loss of crowd control.
“The club failed to provide adequate and effective security, resulting in unauthorised persons gaining access to restricted areas,” the NPFL said.
“Such behaviour is capable of bringing the game into disrepute.”
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The sanctions include ₦1 million each for throwing objects onto the pitch, failing to ensure proper conduct of supporters, and bringing the game into disrepute.
An additional ₦2 million was imposed twice for inadequate security, while ₦2 million each was ordered as compensation for the treatment of injured Barau FC personnel and for damages to the away team’s bus and equipment.
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The total fine of ₦9 million accompanies a stadium ban, with Katsina United now required to host the rest of their home fixtures behind closed doors.
