The League Management Company (LMC) has hit hard on Dakkada Football Club after one of its officials attacked an assistant referee during a clash with Remo Stars on Sunday.
The LMC announced the immediate expulsion of Sunday Etefia, the Dakkada FC Assistant Coach while slamming on the club a total sum of N3.5m.
Dakkada FC has also been ordered to play their next three home matches at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin for breach of Rules B13.52 and C9 following the incidents of Sunday.
Etefia was indicted for assaulting Assistant Referee 11, Sani Baba, at the end of the Matchday 4 fixture against Remo Stars in Uyo. The LMC has also recommended to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to review his coaching licence.
Consequently, the LMC fined the Club N3m for failure to provide adequate security in the course of the match, in addition to the sum of N250,000 each to be paid to the Assistant Referee and General Manager of Remo Stars for medical expenses and may include any additional verifiable and authenticated medical costs.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Referees Association, NRA has revealed its decision not to send its officials to officiate any Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL match involving Dakkada FC of Akwa Ibom State.
In a release signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the association, Kelechi Mejuobi, the body noted that the action to boycott Dakkada FC matches will extend to other league venues where the security of lives of their members is not assured.
“While waiting for the outcome of the decision of the league organisers and the football body, concerning this abnormality, the NRA in the meantime is constrained to state that it is has considered a boycott of future league games this season where insecurity reigns and lives of referees are not protected.
“According to the President of the NRA, Otunba Tade Azeez, referees won’t honour Dakkada home matches and any other grounds referees are molested this season for any reason,” the statement said.
