Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has condemned the violent conduct of Kano Pillars supporters who invaded the pitch and attacked players, match officials, and staff of Shooting Stars Sports Club following Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League clash at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano State.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that chaos erupted after Shooting Stars forward, Adams Mustapha, netted a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser to secure a 1–1 draw, cancelling out Mustapha Jibrin’s early goal for the hosts.
Footage from the live broadcast by Propel Sports showed angry fans storming the pitch moments after the final whistle, confronting referee Mohammed Tuta and his assistants—Bem Japhet, Shehu Isah, and Alfa Sadiq—who were forced to flee for safety.
Security operatives struggled to contain the situation and eventually fired tear gas to disperse the enraged crowd.
Several Shooting Stars players, including Ismail Ayodele and Adams Agba’a, were reportedly assaulted during the melee.
Reacting to the incident in a post via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Sani described the attack as “unacceptable and condemnable.”
Sani also bemoaned the safety of fans at stadia, lamenting that insecurity and poor crowd control discourage genuine supporters from attending local league games.
He wrote, “The unruly behaviour of the Kano Pillars fans against the players of the Shooting Stars is unacceptable and condemnable.
“One of the problems I found out when one goes to our stadiums to watch the 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.”
The Nigerian Premier Football League is yet to issue an official statement on the violence as of the time of filing this report.