The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has come down hard on Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, hitting the club with a staggering N5 million fine and an indefinite home game ban following chaotic scenes during their Match Day 32 fixture against Ikorodu City.
According to a statement released by the NPFL disciplinary panel after its Wednesday meeting, Shooting Stars were penalized for multiple breaches of league rules, including poor crowd control, inadequate security arrangements, and violent fan behavior which led to the attack on Ikorodu City players and officials at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
The Ibadan-based club is to pay N3 million in total fines for the misconducts and an additional N2 million as compensation for damages inflicted on Ikorodu City’s team bus during the fracas.
In a breakdown of the penalties, 3SC was fined N1 million for failure to provide adequate security, which allowed unauthorized persons to invade restricted areas and harass match officials. Another N1 million fine was imposed for breach of Rule C9 of the NPFL Framework and Rules — specifically for failing to control their fans, which resulted in the violent assault on visiting supporters. A third N1 million fine was levied for general failure to manage crowd behavior.
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The club was also found guilty of violating Rule B13.18, which prohibits the throwing of objects onto the pitch and at referees. This further resulted in a N1 million penalty, escalating the crisis that has now drawn nationwide attention.
The fallout from the incident has prompted the league body to close the Lekan Salami Stadium to fans for the remainder of the 2024/2025 season, effectively forcing Shooting Stars to play future home matches behind closed doors.
Under Rule C26 of the NPFL regulations, the club has been given 48 hours to either accept the ruling or file an appeal.
This disciplinary action has sparked intense reactions across the Nigerian football community, raising fresh concerns about fan violence, stadium security, and club accountability in the nation’s top-tier football league.
