The disciplinary fallout from the post-match incident involving Kun Khalifat and Doma United in Gombe has widened, with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) now sanctioning a member of the visiting club’s media team.
Kun Khalifat media officer Saviola Godwin Otu has been suspended for five matches and fined ₦200,000 over a social media post showing head coach Obinna Uzoho with facial injuries after the teams’ 1–1 draw on October 17.
The latest decision follows the league’s earlier sanctions against Doma United, whose security arrangements and supporters’ conduct during the Matchday Nine fixture attracted disciplinary action.
In an update published on X, the Euromatch-NPFL said Otu was sanctioned over a video depicting the post-match incident and an accompanying statement it considered inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards expected of a club media officer.
The league said the publication and circulation of graphic content portrayed the competition negatively, risked undermining public confidence and could fuel tension among clubs and supporters. It also cited Otu’s failure to honour its invitation as part of the reasons for the punishment.
The NPFL urged clubs and their media officers to channel complaints about match incidents through its established reporting procedures rather than publishing them on social media.
Doma United had already faced heavy sanctions
Before the decision against Otu, Doma United had been fined ₦5.25 million and ordered to play three home matches behind closed doors over the same fixture.
The league charged the Gombe club with failing to provide adequate and effective security, allowing unauthorised persons into restricted areas, and permitting hostile conduct by supporters towards match officials and the visiting team’s officials.
Doma United were fined ₦3 million for repeated security failures, ₦1 million over supporters’ conduct towards match officials and another ₦1 million for gross misconduct involving an away-team official.
A further ₦250,000 was imposed to cover the medical treatment of Uzoho, who sustained an injury during the incident.
The NPFL also recommended the match commissioner for demotion to a lower league over alleged dereliction of duty, insufficient supervision and inadequate reporting.
How the incident came to public attention
The controversy followed the 1–1 draw between Doma United and Kun Khalifat at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe on October 17.
Kun Khalifat took the lead in the 54th minute before Doma United equalised four minutes later through Tijani Azeez. Neither side found a winner.
Attention subsequently shifted from the result after a video circulated on social media appearing to show Uzoho with blood around his nose and mouth.
Kun Khalifat responded by publicly calling on the NPFL to protect its players and officials, expressing concern about the safety of visiting teams after matches in which they take points from home opposition.
The club’s statement did not identify those allegedly responsible for the incident. The video, by itself, did not establish the full circumstances surrounding the coach’s injury.
The league’s disciplinary response has since addressed separate aspects of the episode: Doma United’s security failures and supporters’ conduct, and Otu’s publication of the footage and accompanying statement.
A wider question over reporting match incidents
The latest sanction highlights the NPFL’s position that clubs should use formal reporting channels when raising concerns about incidents during league fixtures.
While the league has punished Doma United over security and conduct issues, it has also penalized Kun Khalifat’s media officer for the way the incident was presented publicly.
The two decisions underline the different responsibilities facing clubs after contentious matches: ensuring the safety of players and officials, while handling complaints in line with the league’s procedures.
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In the meantime, Kun Khalifat whose initial appeal placed the incident in the public spotlight, the latest development adds a new disciplinary consequence to a case that has moved well beyond the result in Gombe.
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