A violent incident marred a Nigerian Premier League match as Plateau United’s Vincent Temitope was stabbed in the neck by a Nasarawa United fan, resulting in a 6 million naira fine for the club [R70,000].
The tie between Nasarawa and Plateau took place at the Lafia Township Stadium on Sunday, 13 April 2025. The heated showdown concluded in a 3-2 scoreline in favour of the home side, Nasarawa.
The assault on the player, Temitope, occurred just after the referee signaled the end of the game.
Temitope’s mixed performance – a goal followed by a crucial missed penalty – ignited tensions among Nasarawa fans, who, despite their team’s victory, felt he nearly gifted Plateau United a draw, as per reports.
The player was quickly taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lafia for medical attention. However, Temitope was later released from the hospital and is in stable condition.
According to eyewitness accounts, the stadium’s security was inadequate, with only a handful of police officers attempting to manage a massive crowd. This security lapse left players and officials dangerously exposed and enabled the subsequent pitch invasion.”
“Fans [Nasarawa] attacked him after the game clearly in response to his stellar performance against them,” said Plateau’s director of media operations, Yaksat Maklek, as quoted by Legit. “He was treated immediately and is responding well. He is stable.
However, this incident was not well-received by the NPFL, which imposed a fine of 6 million naira on Nasarawa [R70,000].
VINCENT TEMITOPE STABLE AFTER FAN ATTACK
This incident has also reignited serious concerns about ongoing violence at Nigerian football stadiums and the failure to protect players, officials, and fans. Alarmingly, this attack happened shortly after the NPFL lifted a ban on Nasarawa United supporters, a ban imposed due to previous violence. This decision, based on promises of improved security for matchday 12 against Akwa United, has been proven disastrous.”
NIGERIA PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON VINCENT TEMITOPE INCIDENT
“Nasarawa Utd have been charged for breaching the Framework & Rules of the NPFL in the course of their fixture v Plateau Utd on Sunday,” reads the statement.Â
“The Lafia-based club failed to provide adequate & effective security, resulting in an unauthorised person gaining access to restricted areas and harassing Plateau Utd and the match officials.
“Nasarawa Utd are also in breach of NPFL rules following disturbance from their supporters that resulted in the attack of the away team, Plateau Utd. They also failed to ensure proper conduct of their supporters, resulting in the assault of the away team.
“Nasarawa Utd have been fined N1m each for failing to provide adequate security and ensuring the proper conduct of their supporters [totalling N2m]. An N3m fine has been imposed on Nasarawa Utd for persistent breach of the NPFL Framework and Rules.
“In addition, Nasarawa Utd will also pay a fine of N1m for medical expenses and compensation for Plateau Utd’s Vincent Temitope.
“Following these breaches, Nasarawa Utd have been banished to the Pantami Stadium in Gombe to play their home matches for the rest of NPFL. Nasarawa Utd have also been directed to identify the culprit who caused bodily harm to Vincent Temitope of Plateau Utd & show evidence of legal prosecution of the culprit.”
The fan has since been arrested, as the Nigeria Police Force confirmed in a chat with Newsmen on Monday morning.
In 2023, this publication reported a similar incident that happened in SA, where a referee was attacked and players were stabbed in the SAFA Vhembe region in Limpopo during a local league match.
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