Pandemonium broke out at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, on Sunday evening when enraged Kano Pillars fans invaded the pitch and attacked the referee, match officials, and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) players following a late equaliser by the visiting team.
The tension-soaked encounter — a Matchday 8 fixture of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) — ended dramatically in a 1-1 draw after Shooting Stars scored a 94th-minute goal that sent tempers flaring among home supporters.
Eyewitnesses said the situation quickly degenerated as hundreds of angry fans broke through the security barricades, hurling objects and chasing players and officials off the pitch.
“It was total chaos. Immediately 3SC scored, the home fans lost control. They jumped the fences, ran into the field, and started attacking the referee. Security men had to fire teargas to disperse them,” a journalist at the stadium told PLATFORM TIMES.
Photos circulating online showed some spectators brandishing sticks and other dangerous objects as match officials and players fled toward the tunnel for safety.
Several people reportedly sustained minor injuries, though no fatalities were recorded as of press time.
Security operatives were forced to intervene with teargas canisters to quell the violence and prevent further damage to property. The stadium was eventually cleared after several minutes of confusion.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from football stakeholders, who have repeatedly raised concerns over crowd violence in Nigerian football arenas.
In April, PLATFORM TIMES recalls, Shooting Stars fans themselves were involved in a similar episode when they held players, referees, and journalists hostage at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, after a goalless draw with Ikorodu City. That crisis was only resolved through the intervention of military personnel.
Reacting to Sunday’s violence, some sports enthusiasts have called on the Nigeria Premier Football League Board and the Nigeria Football Federation to impose heavy sanctions on Kano Pillars and tighten security measures to curb recurring hooliganism in the league.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the NPFL management nor the Kano Pillars’ leadership had issued an official statement regarding the ugly incident.
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