Crowd Trouble: Kano Pillars hit with heavy sanctions, to pay N9.5m fine

Add us on Google

Kano Pillars Football Club have been handed heavy sanctions by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following the violent scenes that erupted during their Matchday 8 home game against Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Sunday.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

In a summary jurisdiction notice dated 13 October, and signed by NPFL Chief Operating Officer Davidson Owumi, the league found the club guilty of multiple breaches of its Framework and Rules, including failure to provide adequate security, poor crowd control, and misconduct by supporters.

Sanctions and fines

As part of the punishment, the NPFL deducted three points and three goals from Pillars’ accrued total, imposed fines totalling ₦9.5 million, and ordered the indefinite closure of the Sani Abacha Stadium.

The club must now play its home matches in Katsina for at least ten games or until the league is satisfied with its new security measures.

Pillars were also instructed to identify and prosecute individuals involved in the violence and to submit a revised security and crowd control plan within seven working days.

The detailed breakdown of the fines includes ₦1 million for failure to provide adequate security, ₦1 million for throwing dangerous objects onto the pitch, ₦1 million for failure to control supporters, and another ₦1 million for conduct that brought the game into disrepute.

An additional ₦2 million fine was imposed for the assault on Shooting Stars players and match officials, ₦2 million was approved as compensation for victims’ treatment, and ₦1.5 million was ordered as restitution to match officials.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Follow us on Google News and never miss breaking stories, investigations, and in-depth reporting.

Add as a preferred source on Google

Background to the violence

The incident occurred after Shooting Stars’ Adams Mustapha scored a stoppage-time equaliser to earn a 1–1 draw, cancelling Mustapha Jibrin’s earlier goal for Pillars.

Enraged home fans invaded the pitch, chasing players and referees, and throwing objects to protest the result.

Security personnel eventually restored order, but several officials and players reportedly sustained minor injuries in the chaos.

The NPFL described the event as “a clear breach of professional conduct and a threat to the safety of all participants.”

League’s response

Owumi said the decision underlines the NPFL’s zero-tolerance stance toward crowd violence, stressing that the league will not compromise on discipline.

“We will invoke the rules wherever and whenever required to keep bad behaviour of fans, players, and officials out of the league,” he said.

The league also called for a review of the officiating team from the game, alongside match officials from the Nasarawa United versus Rangers fixture, citing substandard performances.

Right of appeal

Kano Pillars have 48 hours to accept the ruling or appear before the NPFL disciplinary panel. The league warned that any frivolous appeal could lead to further punishment.

READ ALSO: Kano Chaos: NPFL condemns violence as Pillars fans attack referees, 3SC players after 1–1 draw

Recurring problem

This latest development adds to many disciplinary cases involving Kano Pillars.

The club, one of Nigeria’s most decorated sides, has faced repeated sanctions for fan-related violence in previous seasons, including incidents in 2023 and 2024 that led to stadium bans and fines.

The NPFL says it hopes this new round of penalties will finally compel the club to take stronger action to reform its matchday management and restore discipline among its supporters.