The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of a Nasarawa United supporter who stabbed Plateau United player Vincent Temitope in the neck after a violent pitch invasion in Lafia on Sunday.
The suspect, whose name has not yet been made public, was taken into custody for his role in the bloody post-match attack that sent shockwaves through the Nigerian football community.
Confirming the arrest in a brief interview with SaharaReporters on Monday morning, the spokesperson for the Nasarawa State Police Command, Rahman Nansel, said: “The culprit was arrested, and he’s currently in custody for further investigation.”
The brutal attack followed a highly-charged Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture between Nasarawa United and Plateau United, played at the Lafia Township Stadium on April 13, 2025.
Despite the home team winning 3-2, some Nasarawa supporters stormed the pitch and assaulted Temitope, blaming his performance for nearly tilting the game in Plateau United’s favour.
Temitope had scored a goal and earned a penalty, which he later missed, but his overall impact on the match clearly unsettled a section of the home crowd.
Multiple sources told SaharaReporters that the stadium was poorly secured, with fewer than 20 officers assigned to manage a crowd of thousands. This failure, according to witnesses, left players and officials dangerously exposed.
“The atmosphere of the match was very intense, and it was during the match that home fans and Nasarawa United supporters started booing and threatening to attack,” one eyewitness said.
“So immediately after the final whistle, the Plateau United officials hurriedly told their players to leave the pitch, but the crowd quickly invaded it. And the police were overpowered.”
Another source confirmed that the inadequate security presence contributed significantly to the breakdown of order.
“I have to say this, the total number of policemen deployed to the stadium for the match is not more than 20. Just imagine that. How can they monitor thousands of fans? It is not possible. If the security is tight and enough, the players and the match officials would have been well protected,” the source added.
Plateau United’s Director of Media Operations, Yaksat Maklek, confirmed the attack to SaharaReporters and stated that the player was quickly rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lafia.
“He was taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia where he was treated immediately and now he is fine. He is in stable condition,” Maklek said.
The attack has once again raised concerns about the rampant culture of violence in Nigerian football stadiums and the repeated failure of clubs and local authorities to ensure player safety.
Even more alarming is that the incident happened barely a week after the NPFL board lifted a previous stadium ban on Nasarawa United fans, who had earlier been penalised for similar acts of violence.
The approval, which allowed fans to return from matchday 12 against Akwa United, came with a stern warning from the NPFL leadership demanding improved security and fan behaviour.
In a statement confirming the lifting of the ban, Nasarawa United’s Director of Media, Eche Amos, had quoted a letter from NPFL Chief Operating Officer Davidson Owumi.
“We are pleased to invite our loyal supporters to return and cheer the team to victory in an orderly manner,” Amos said, adding that the club would work closely with the Nasarawa State Football Association to guarantee safety.
In a similar gross misconduct event, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the NPFL fined Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) N5 million and ordered the indefinite closure of the Lekan Salami Stadium to fans following violent scenes that erupted after their goalless draw with Ikorodu City FC in a Matchday 32 fixture.
The enraged Shooting Stars supporters, infuriated by their team’s failure to secure a win at home, held players, coaches, referees, and journalists hostage for over an hour inside the Lekan Salami Stadium on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
Chaos broke out after the final whistle of the NPFL Matchday 32 fixture, which ended 0-0, dashing Shooting Stars’ hopes of closing in further on league leaders.
SaharaReporters learned that the NPFL Disciplinary Committee last week found Shooting Stars guilty on multiple counts, including failure to provide adequate security, poor control of supporters, and allowing the harassment of match officials and opposing team members.
