Kano Pillars Football Club General Manager, Ahmed Musa, has vowed to ensure that individuals responsible for the violent attack on referees and players of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) are identified and brought to justice.
The incident occurred on Sunday at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano during a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture that ended in chaos after 3SC scored a late equaliser. The goal reportedly sparked outrage among some home fans, who invaded the pitch and assaulted match officials and opposing players.
In a strongly worded statement, the Super Eagles captain described the attack as “unfortunate, painful, and disgraceful,” stressing that such conduct has no place in professional football.
“This behaviour does not represent the true values, identity, or proud history of Kano Pillars. We fell far short of that standard on Sunday,” Musa said.
He also tendered a public apology to all affected parties, including the players, coaches, and officials of Shooting Stars, the referees, and the NPFL board and its partners at GTI.
“I tender an unreserved apology to the players, coaches, officials, and supporters of Shooting Stars Sports Club, to the match referees and league officials who were caught in this terrible situation, to the NPFL board, to GTI, to the league organisers, and to every football fan across Nigeria and beyond who watched these scenes with anger, shock, and disappointment,” he stated.
Musa assured that the club management is cooperating with security agencies and the league authorities to identify those responsible for the violence and ensure they face appropriate sanctions.
The NPFL board is expected to release a disciplinary statement in the coming days, with potential fines and sanctions looming over Kano Pillars for breach of league regulations and failure to control their supporters.
Football stakeholders and fans have since commended Ahmed Musa’s leadership and zero-tolerance stance, urging the league to take firm action to protect referees and restore order in Nigerian football.