Chaos erupted at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Sunday as angry Kano Pillars supporters invaded the pitch following a 1-1 draw with Shooting Stars Sports Club during a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 8 fixture.
The violent scenes unfolded after a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser, with irate fans attacking the referee and several Shooting Stars players, including Ismail Ayodele and Adams Agba’a. Officials were also assaulted before security forces deployed tear gas to restore order.
Kano Pillars General Manager, Ahmed Musa, described the episode as “heartbreaking, shameful, and completely unacceptable.”
In a statement posted on X, Ahmed Musa tendered an apology: “I, Ahmed Musa, the General Manager of Kano Pillars Football Club, extend my deepest and most sincere apologies for the unfortunate, painful, and disgraceful incident that occurred during our game against Shooting Stars Sports Club on Sunday evening.”
He added: “What transpired against Shooting Stars is heartbreaking, shameful, and completely unacceptable. It does not represent the true values, identity, or the proud history of Kano Pillars. This club has always stood for community, passion, and respect, values that must never be overshadowed by violence or indiscipline.”
Musa apologised to “the players, coaches, officials, and supporters of Shooting Stars Sports Club, to the match referees and league officials who were caught in this terrible situation, to the Nigeria Premier Football League board and its partners at GTI, to the league organisers, and to every football fan across Nigeria and beyond who watched these scenes with anger, shock, and disappointment.”
He stressed that “violence has no place in football” and assured that the club “will work closely with the relevant authorities to identify those responsible for this shameful act, and they will face the full consequences of their actions.”
Musa also appealed directly to the club’s supporters, urging them to show “true support not through violence, but through respect, passion, and discipline.”
“This must be a turning point for us,” he said. “We must remind the world that our love for this club can be powerful without being destructive, that our passion can lift its image, not stain it.”
Kano Pillars have faced repeated sanctions for fan misconduct, with fines exceeding ₦36 million since 2019.
Musa concluded by taking “full responsibility” and pledging that the club would “do everything necessary to restore trust, respect, and the true spirit of football in Kano and across Nigeria.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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