Abraham Nana, has denied reports suggesting that his throat was slit during the Nigeria Premier Football League match against Katsina United.
In a video statement clarifying the incident, Nana said his injuries were caused by an object thrown from the stands after his team equalised during the match, which ended 1-1 at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina.
“That is a false statement. My throat was never slaughtered,” Nana said. “It was during the course of the match, when we equalised our goal, the fans of Katsina United started throwing objects towards our bench and due to that cause, an object hit my chest and lower of my chin. That’s when I saw blood coming out. So that’s what happened and not slaughtered rather.”
The clarification comes amid growing controversy over the violent scenes that followed the equaliser, during which Barau FC players were reportedly injured and their team bus vandalised.
In response, the NPFL has sanctioned Katsina United with a N9 million fine for multiple breaches of league rules, despite the club’s denial that its supporters attacked any player.
According to the league body, “Supporters of the home team threw harmful objects onto the pitch, resulting in the injuries of Barau FC players.”
Katsina United was fined N1 million each for throwing objects towards the pitch, failing to control supporters, and bringing the game into disrepute, totalling N3 million. An additional N2 million fine was imposed for failing to provide adequate security.
The club will also pay N2 million each as compensation for the treatment of injured players and for damages to Barau FC’s buses, as well as for “holding the match officials and away team hostage for hours after the match,” bringing the total sanction to N9 million.
The NPFL further ruled that all subsequent home matches of Katsina United will be played behind closed doors at a neutral venue in Jos.
The disciplinary measures follow claims by Barau FC’s Director of Media Operations, Ahmad Gwale, who alleged that “one person from the Katsina United bench or one of their fans” invaded the pitch and struck Nana with “something like a sharp object” shortly after the equaliser.
However, Katsina United dismissed the allegations, insisting that “none of the club’s supporters invaded the pitch and attacked a Barau FC player during the match.”
In a statement, the club said the reports “do not reflect what truly transpired,” noting that although the atmosphere became “tense due to contentious officiating decisions that understandably frustrated supporters,” the situation “was managed within the confines of order and security.”
“Katsina United remains committed to professionalism, discipline, and fair play both on and off the field,” the club said.
Despite the denial, the NPFL board found Katsina United guilty of several offences, including failure to ensure the proper conduct of supporters, harassment of Barau FC players and match officials, and bringing the game into disrepute.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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