✕ CLOSE Online Special City News Entrepreneurship Environment Factcheck Everything Woman Home Front Islamic Forum Life Xtra Property Travel & Leisure Viewpoint Vox Pop Women In Business Art and Ideas Bookshelf Labour Law Letters
Click Here To Listen To Trust Radio Live

FIFA World Cup qualifier: Nigeria guarantees adequate security

The Nigeria Football Federation and the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, Federal Republic of Nigeria on Wednesday assured world football-governing body, FIFA, of adequate…

The Nigeria Football Federation and the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, Federal Republic of Nigeria on Wednesday assured world football-governing body, FIFA, of adequate security during the country’s World Cup qualifier against Malawi in Calabar.

The assurance was contained in a detailed security guarantee and comprehensive security plan dispatched to FIFA yesterday (Wednesday).

The Super Eagles’ final World Cup qualifying match against the Flames of Malawi is scheduled for 7th September, 2013 at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State.

In the letter of security guarantee signed on the IGP’s behalf by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Philemon I. Leha, the Nigeria Police assures “all stakeholders and lovers of football that the Force will provide adequate security to ensure a conducive environment before, during and after the match between Nigeria and Malawi.”

The 12,000-capacity stadium has hosted several international matches involving Nigeria in the past, including previous 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Namibia and Kenya, as well as 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Rwanda and Liberia.

But the Football Association of Malawi, inexplicably, wrote to FIFA to express unfounded fears.

NFF’s Acting General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, and Secretary of the NFF Security Committee, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, spent Wednesday at the Force Headquarters perfecting the security guarantee with top officers.

The guarantee explained that apart from routine police lead escorts and back-up vehicles for both teams and match officials from point of arrival to point of departure, all hotels and training grounds to be used would be adequately fortified.

NFF’s Media Officer, Ademola Olajire also said the guarantee assured that “anti-bomb squad would be deployed to sweep and maintain all hotels and training pitches. Anti-bomb squad would sweep and secure the entire stadium along with Police elite squad (Police Mobile Force/Counter Terrorist Unit); adequate security would be provided on the day of the match. There would be police escorts for teams and match officials to and fro the stadium, among other measures.”

The letter also informed FIFA that ACP Gideon Akinsola, FIFA National Security Officer in Nigeria, would be on duty at the big match.

Next month’s game has assumed some importance as only two points separate the Super Eagles from the Flames at the top of Group F, with the Eagles needing only a draw to reach the 10-team final elimination round and the Malawians needing a win.

FIFA had written to the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday to provide a letter of security guarantee from the appropriate authority in Nigeria as well as a detailed security plan for the qualifying match.

VERIFIED: It is now possible to live in Nigeria and earn salary in US Dollars with premium domains, you can earn as much as $12,000 (₦18 Million).
Click here to start.