NPFL: Irate fans hold Ikorodu City players hostage after draw with Shooting Stars

Irate fans believed to be supporters of Shooting Stars held players and officials of Ikorodu City hostage inside the dressing room of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, after a goalless draw between the two teams in the ongoing 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

The disturbing scene recorded shows terrified Ikorodu City players and officials stranded in darkness, relying on mobile phone flashlights for visibility after stadium officials allegedly cut the power supply.

"I have heard similar stories before in the NPFL, but this is my first time experiencing it," one of the club's officials said in the video, his voice trembling with shock and disbelief.

“We are being held hostage right here at the Lekan Salami Stadium after Ikorodu City forced Shooting Stars into a goalless draw. We are held hostage in the dressing room. The light has been switched off. See the players using their phones. We cannot go out – both the players and the officials. The team bus has been vandalised,” he narrated.

In other videos, the visiting team's bus was visibly severely damaged, and one of their officials sustained injuries during the chaos.

According to reports, the violence erupted immediately after the final whistle of the tense Match Day 32 fixture.

Frustrated Shooting Stars fans, disappointed with their team’s failure to secure a home victory, began hurling objects onto the pitch before taking further action by locking the visiting team inside their dressing room.

Taking advantage of the lack of adequate security, the mob reportedly vandalised Ikorodu City's team bus and physically attacked one of the team's officials. The identity of the injured official remained undisclosed at the time of filing this report.

Incidents of violence in Nigerian football are not uncommon. Over the years, various stadiums across the country have witnessed multiple clashes involving fans, club officials, and referees.

Following the match, Shooting Stars currently sit 4th in the league standings with 48 points from 32 games, while Ikorodu City trails closely behind with 46 points from 31 matches.

Elsewhere, an 84th-minute header by Bolu Sholumade was all former champions Rivers United needed on Sunday to edge Nigeria Premier Football League leaders Remo Stars in a top-of-the-table clash and cut the gap between them to five points.

The former Sunshine Stars defender sneaked in and headed home a lofty cross from another former Sunshine Stars stalwart, Taiwo Andulrafiu, to hand Finidi George’s side the win on Sunday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

Although Daniel Ogunmodede’s side had an outstanding game against Lobi Stars, the Rivers United defeat slowed down their title challenge, giving a glimmer of hope to Finidi, who has been anticipating their slip.