Military operatives were forced to intervene at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Sunday after Shooting Stars fans held players, coaches, match officials, and journalists hostage for over an hour following a goalless draw against visiting Ikorodu City FC in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Match Day 32 encounter.
Samuel Bamisebi, spokesperson for Ikorodu City FC, confirmed the incident on Monday. According to him, it took the intervention of military personnel to disperse the enraged crowd and evacuate those trapped inside the stadium’s dressing rooms.
“As you saw in the viral video, the players, coaches, and officials were held hostage after the game. Even the referee and some journalists couldn’t leave. It took the military’s arrival to disperse the crowd and safely evacuate everyone,” Bamisebi explained.
Although no Ikorodu City players or officials sustained physical injuries, the club’s supporters were not as fortunate. “Our fans were attacked. Their bus was destroyed, and one of them was injured. Many lost their phones while trying to record the chaos,” he added.
Responding to allegations that stadium lights were deliberately turned off to intimidate the visitors, Bamisebi dismissed the claims, saying the blackout affected the entire stadium and was not targeted. “The lights went out across the entire stadium, not just our dressing room,” he clarified.
The Ikorodu City delegation remained trapped for approximately 80 minutes before military operatives restored order.
“We were held hostage for about 80 minutes. The management will meet internally to determine our next steps,” Bamisebi stated.
Sunday night saw chaotic scenes at the Lekan Salami Stadium after Shooting Stars fans, furious over their team’s failure to secure a home victory, turned violent following the final whistle. The match ended 0-0, leaving Shooting Stars 4th on the NPFL table with 48 points from 32 matches, while Ikorodu City sit just behind with 46 points from 31 matches.
“I’ve heard of things like this in the NPFL, but this is my first time experiencing it,” one shaken official said in a video. “We are being held hostage at the Lekan Salami Stadium. The lights are off. The players are using their phone lights. The team bus has been vandalised.”
Additional footage showed the damaged Ikorodu City team bus, with reports confirming that at least one fan was injured during the unrest.
The NPFL has yet to release an official statement on the incident.
