Reports gathered that a hostage situation erupted following a goalless draw between Shooting Stars and Ikorodu City in the ongoing 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
On Sunday evening, angry fans of Shooting Stars SC (3SC) held players and officials of Lagos-based Ikorodu City FC hostage in the dressing room of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The unsettling incident was captured in a video obtained by SaharaReporters, showing frightened Ikorodu City players and staff surrounded by darkness and depending on phone flashlights after the stadium’s power supply was reportedly shut off.
“I have heard similar stories before in the NPFL, but this is my first time experiencing it,” one club official stated in the video, clearly shaken.
“We are being held hostage right here at the Lekan Salami Stadium after Ikorodu City forced Shooting Stars into a goalless draw. We are held hostage in the dressing room. The light has been switched off. See the players using their phones. We cannot go out – both the players and the officials. The team bus has been vandalised,” he narrated.
Additional videos reviewed by SaharaReporters show extensive damage to the team’s bus and confirm that one official sustained injuries amid the mayhem.
Reports indicate that the unrest began immediately after the final whistle of the tense Match Day 32 fixture. Disappointed by their team’s inability to secure a win at home, enraged Shooting Stars supporters started by throwing objects onto the pitch and then escalated the situation by locking up the visiting team.
READ ALSO: Support U.S. Strike, Expect Retaliation – Iran Warns Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain
Taking advantage of the evident lack of sufficient security, the mob reportedly damaged Ikorodu City’s bus and assaulted one of their officials. The injured individual’s identity had not been disclosed at the time of reporting.
Violent incidents such as this are not new to Nigerian football, with various stadiums across the country having witnessed similar outbreaks involving fans, club personnel, and referees over the years.
After the match, Shooting Stars hold 4th place in the league table with 48 points from 32 games, while Ikorodu City is close behind with 46 points from 31 games.
Watch Video Here:
https://twitter.com/SaharaReporters/status/1908996769641353383?t=17Bahto0KDAY-JZOtK9R7w&s=19
