Heavy Penalty: Katsina United Hit with N9m Fine, Ordered to Play Home Games Behind Closed Doors in Jos.

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has heavily penalized Katsina United with a N9 million fine and mandated that they play all remaining home fixtures behind closed doors in Jos. The sanctions follow violent incidents during the club’s 1-1 draw with Barau FC on Saturday.

In a Sunday statement, the league body charged Katsina United with numerous breaches of its rules, primarily for failing to provide adequate security and control supporters. The NPFL noted that unauthorized individuals accessed restricted zones and fans threw harmful objects, injuring Barau FC players.

The NPFL broke down the total fine: N3 million was imposed for supporter misconduct, throwing objects, and bringing the game into disrepute; N2 million was for the failure to provide effective security. Additionally, the club must pay N4 million in compensation to cover the medical treatment of injured players, damages to the away team’s buses, and for holding the visitors and match officials hostage after the game.

The overall penalty imposed on Katsina United totals N9 million.

As part of the severe sanctions, the NPFL has directed that all the club’s remaining home fixtures must be played at the New Jos Stadium and without any spectators. Katsina United has a window of 48 hours to appeal the ruling if they wish to contest the decision.

The sanctions were triggered by reports that Barau FC player Nana Abraham sustained a neck wound after being attacked by fans during the chaotic match at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium. The incident, which caused chaos, reportedly happened immediately after Barau equalized in the 69th minute. Pictures later shared by Barau FC showed Abraham bleeding on the pitch before officials intervened to allow the game to resume and conclude with a 1-1 draw.