Rabiu Omaku
There was pandemonium at the Lafia township stadium on Saturday at about 11:28 am following the manhandled of personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp at the main entrance of the stadium by soldiers as the NSCDC refused to identify himself.
The football match turned rowdy a few minutes into a 90-minute match between the Nigeria Army and the Department of State Security under the second edition of Governor Abdullahi Sule/Akabe Peace and Unity Cup held at the Lafia township stadium.
The melee erupted following the inability of the personnel of the NSCDC to identify himself coming in with a motorcycle.
our reporter who was at the stadium can authoritatively reveal that over eight armed soldiers were stationed to guard the main and only gate of the stadium.
The NSCDC who was in mufti protested that he would not identify himself and was beaten to a stupor without anybody to rescue him, the uproar at the gate escalated into the stadium causing fear among spectators.
A competent source said the army was beefed up at the main entrance over the reported cases of two missing motorcycles parked close to an operational vehicle of the military last three days.
A staff of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, who was following the events at the stadium said the “Stop and Search “may not be unconnected to the incident.
An army officer in the background, who did not want his name in print says the “Stop and Search” was for the good of motorcycle owners whom the military says nobody should park his motorcycle inside the stadium and anybody parking outside the stadium is at owners’ risk.
The game ended in a one-goal penalty shoot-out to the Nile, As the Army scored one goal while DSS scored Zero.
