NPFL: Adamawa United end 15-match winless streak

Adamawa United secured their first win of the season on Thursday-a 1-0 win over Lobi Stars in one of the three match-day 12 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixtures on Thursday.

Adamawa United’s last win in the league was February 2020, and the victory against Lobi at the Pantami Stadium ended a 15-match winless streak.

Substitute Stanley Nnanna broke the deadlock for the home side in the 78th minute after tapping in a Sadiq Lawan pass from close range. With the three points, Adamawa remain bottom of the table with six points from 12 matches.

PREMIUM TIMES recalls that Adamawa United bus was attacked along the Benin-Ore expressway on their way to Lagos and their driver abducted before he was released on Wednesday night.

The abductors had demanded a ransom of ₦50 million for his release but the Permanent Secretary of the Adamawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports, Aliyu Abubakar Jada, revealed Mohammed Kabiru was released on Wednesday night after ₦1 million was paid to the kidnappers.

“Kabiru was released late yesterday night after the ransom was paid along the Benin-Ore Expressway, where he was kidnapped,” Jada told Punch.

“We sent representatives to pick him up. After the abductors counted the money, they released him to his relatives, but that was after so much delay to ensure that there was no security personnel around.

“He was abducted on Friday at about 6.45 p.m. and spent about six days with the abductors, and that’s why we’ve asked him to stay with a relative in Enugu so he could get proper rest. He sounded fine and healthy but we want him to get two days rest because of the stress he had gone through.

“We thank God he has been released because something worse could have happened despite paying the ransom.”

In other results, Heartland recorded a 2-1 victory against Dakkada United at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri. Dakkada took the lead five minutes before half time through Kokoette Udo’s first-time volley.

Heartland equalised in the 53rd minute through Adachi Emmanuel and Emmanuel scored the winner in the fourth minute of added-on time from close range to seal the victory.

Elsewhere, Katsina United and MFM shared the spoils in a goalless draw in Katsina.