Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has strongly condemned the violent actions of Kano Pillars supporters who stormed the pitch and attacked players, referees, and officials of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) after Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
Chaos erupted shortly after Shooting Stars forward Adams Mustapha scored a 94th-minute equaliser, cancelling out Mustapha Jibrin’s early goal to earn the visitors a 1–1 draw.
Live footage from Propel Sports, the NPFL’s broadcast partner, showed furious fans invading the pitch moments after the final whistle, chasing and confronting referee Mohammed Tuta and his assistants — Bem Japhet, Shehu Isah, and Alfa Sadiq — who fled for safety.
Security personnel struggled to contain the situation and were eventually forced to deploy tear gas to disperse the hostile crowd.
Several Shooting Stars players, including Ismail Ayodele and Adams Agba’a, were reportedly physically assaulted during the chaos.
Shehu Sani: ‘Unacceptable and Condemnable’
Reacting to the incident via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Senator Shehu Sani described the conduct of the fans as “unacceptable and condemnable.”
“The unruly behaviour of the Kano Pillars fans against the players of the Shooting Stars is unacceptable and condemnable,” he wrote.
“One of the problems I found out when one goes to our stadiums to watch local league matches is the problem of thugs loitering around. Half of your attention is on the match and half on your safety and that of your vehicle.”
Sani further lamented that insecurity and poor crowd control at stadiums discourage passionate football lovers from attending local league games, calling for stronger enforcement of matchday security protocols and stricter penalties for clubs whose fans engage in violence.
League Yet to Respond
As of press time, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) management had not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
However, analysts say the league body could invoke disciplinary measures under its Code of Conduct and Safety Regulations, which permit fines, stadium bans, or point deductions for clubs found guilty of fan violence.
Background: Kano Pillars’ History of Fan Violence
This is not the first time Kano Pillars have faced scrutiny over crowd trouble. The club has previously received sanctions from the League Management Company (LMC) — now restructured under the NPFL board — for incidents involving fan aggression, pitch invasions, and attacks on officials.
Sports observers have urged the NPFL to impose swift and decisive punishment to deter similar acts in the future, warning that repeated incidents risk undermining efforts to restore credibility and fan confidence in Nigerian football.
![[BREAKING NEWS]:Nigerians In Trouble As Leaked Documents Reveals Tinubu’s Agreement with Controversial Business Tycoon](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39gfKFg8aZ2Pq_eoxzYPY7vQoQB4vJQ5iXjbzlb028e9rhOqJn7LU834VyPOGJO6KMqyY25tdbE8_AbZYrvJ2A-MPe77GnAXXTxKlCpcHy3Xmrpk5voaOwmC_bUYUoWrh8i8Vya7_odsgKRhByqzF7mVi_H-AQTn3iV_Yo1GkZhLibfcuztuBuz3XE4xS/w680/IMG_9371.jpeg)
