Robbers attack Pillars players, injure five
…LMC shifts team’s weekend match
Kano Pillars Football Club players who were on their way to honour the opening game of the new Glo Nigeria Premier League season against Heartland FC of Owerri, were yesterday attacked by armed robbers along AbajiLokoja expressway.
At least five players of the reigning Nigeria league champions, including Super Eagles fringe player Gambo Mohammed, Adamu Murtala, Otekpa Eneji, Reuben Ogbonnaya and Ekpai Moses Ubong were shot and wounded in the arm during the ugly incident, which occurred at about 1.15 pm.
The injured players were rushed to a government hospital in Lokoja for treatment.
The General Manager of the club, Alhaji Babangida Umar who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, said the players were still receiving treatment at the hospital in Lokoja as at the time of filing this report.
The robbers, according to Umar, also took away the phones and other valuables of the players during the attack.
Umar also said the other players were directed to return to Kano and the League Management Company has been notified of the ugly incident.
“I was told by officials that at about 1.15 pm, a group of armed robbers blocked their way on Abaji-Lokoja Expressway and shot five of our players, Gambo Mohammed, Adamu Murtala, Otekpa Eneji, Reuben Ogbonnaya and Ekpai Moses Ubong in the arms.
“As I am talking to you now we are trying to get an ambulance that will move them to a better medical facility. All the players were shot at on the arms,” the General Manager explained.
Reacting to the development, the League Management Company (LMC) yesterday shifted this year’s opening star match between host Heartland FC of Owerri and Kano Pillars.
The LMC while expressing shock at the news of the robbery attack on Kano Pillars FC contingent along the AbujaLokoja road, ordered an indefinite postponement of the week one tie involving the reigning league champions and Heartland FC.
Chief Operating Officer of LMC, Salihu Abubakar said the LMC had been in touch with officials of Kano Pillars, monitoring the progress of the injured players and doing everything possible to stabilize the team.
He said all other fixtures of the Glo Premier League Match Day 1 will hold as scheduled but that the star match will now be a double-header in Port Harcourt between Dolphins FC and Kwara United and between Sharks and Sunshine Stars.
While we sympathize with the Club and strongly condemn this crime, Clubs are advised that the Match Day 1 fixtures will hold as scheduled except the Matches in Port Harcourt which will now serve as a double-header and will be televised live tomorrow,” Abubakar said.