The Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has imposed fines and other penalties on several football clubs and a referee following investigations into incidents that occurred during recent league matches.
The rulings were made during the committee’s meeting on March 3, 2026, where protests related to matches in the Nigeria National League (NNL) and the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) were reviewed.
In the first case, the committee examined a protest lodged by Gombe United FC regarding their December 21, 2025 match against Jigawa Golden Stars FC at Pantami Stadium.
Findings revealed that the centre referee initially awarded a goal kick in the 90+4th minute of the game. However, supporters of the home side invaded the pitch and pressured the referee to change the decision to a penalty kick, an act deemed to be a violation of league rules.
The investigation also discovered that the referee submitted two conflicting reports about the incident, and claims that he acted under duress could not be proven. In response to the penalty decision, players of Jigawa Golden Stars refused to continue the match.
Consequently, Gombe United were fined ₦1 million for the crowd invasion. The centre referee, Terwase Chia, was suspended for the remainder of the season for professional misconduct. Jigawa Golden Stars were also fined ₦500,000 for abandoning the match, while the game was declared completed with a 0–0 scoreline.
In a separate decision, the committee reviewed a protest involving Wikki Tourists FC and Katsina United FC following their February 8, 2026 clash at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium.
The investigation found that Wikki Tourists failed to provide adequate security, which allowed unauthorized individuals access to restricted areas. Fans were also reported to have thrown stones onto the pitch.
As a result, the committee upheld a ₦2 million fine for inadequate security and imposed additional fines of ₦1 million each for unsporting conduct and throwing dangerous objects. However, the earlier sanction requiring the club to relocate its home matches to Jos was reduced to a five-match stadium ban.
Kwara United FC were also sanctioned following crowd disturbances during their February 18, 2026 match against Rivers United FC at the Rashidi Yekini Main Bowl Stadium.
The club was fined ₦2 million for inadequate security and ₦1 million for failing to control its supporters. An additional ₦2 million was imposed as compensation for damages and medical treatment of match officials and members of the visiting team. Kwara United were also handed a three-point and three-goal deduction, along with a five-match stadium ban.
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