TIMELINE: Four accidents, two robberies — how roads are becoming ‘death traps’ for NPFL clubs

On March 18, 2021, Enyimba Football Club youth team, was involved in a road accident, on its way back to Aba from a tournament in Imo state.

Before the Thursday incident, various clubs had experienced series of road mishaps and kidnapping, while traveling to honour their Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matches in various parts of the country.

The worrying trend has become very obvious over the last two months. TheCable brings you a timeline of incidents from February 16, 2021, to date. We also look at the possible causes of these road mishaps.

February 16: Wikki Tourist Bus Fire

The bus conveying team members of Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi, one of the sides participating in the NPFL, caught fire along the Jos-Bauchi highway.

Members of the team were on their way to Uyo for a week ten league match against Dakkada FC of Uyo.

There was no life lost in the inferno but players and club officials lost valuables which included bags and phones.

Cause of mishap: Patrick Paschal, Bauchi FA chairman, told TheCable “one of the back tyres came off in motion and the rim and silencer ignited the fire on the road due to the contact”.

February 20: Robbery and abduction of Adamawa Utd FC

The bus transporting players of Adamawa United Football Club was attacked by bandits along the Benin-Lagos Highway.

The players were robbed while travelling to Lagos to honour a weekend game against MFM FC. The bus driver known as Alhaji Kabiru was abducted by the bandits.

A ransom of fifty million naira was demanded by the gunmen for the driver’s release. The state government however said it paid N1 million to secure the release of the driver.

Cause of mishap: Insecurity

February 23: LAGOS LANDLADIES ROBBED

FC Robo, a Nigeria’s Women Football League (NWFL) side, was attacked by gunmen along Ijebu-Ode road in Ogun state.

They were heading to Agbor, Delta state from Lagos for their week seven match against Delta Queens.

The players and officials of the Lagos-based club had their valuables taken away by the gunmen and were left stranded till the next morning after their driver went missing.

Cause of mishap: Insecurity

March 12: Akwa United head-on collision

Akwa United bus crashed in Enugu after a head-on collision with a truck en route Kaduna to honour their week fifteen match against Jigawa Golden stars.

The Uyo-based club said a player and two officials sustained injuries in a Tweet to announce the incident.

“We have been involved in an accident along Ezionye Express road in Enugu on our way to Kaduna for our NPFL Match-day 15 game against Jigawa Golden Stars. Players and officials have sustained injuries. One player and two officials have been taken to the hospital,” Akwa United said.

CAUSE OF MISHAP: Undisclosed

March 17: Ekiti United Road Crash

Players and officials of Ekiti United football club were involved in an auto accident while returning from their evening training session.

According to an official statement on the club’s Twitter handle, some players sustained varying degrees of injury.

“Ekiti Utd team bus was on Tuesday(March 16)involved in a lone accident while the team was returning to Ado from Ikere after training. There were varying degrees of injury but no life was lost. Slippery road caused by rain could hav caused it,” the club said.

Cause of mishap: Bad road

March 18: Enyimba FC Crash

A bus conveying the youth team of NPFL side, Enyimba FC of Aba, was involved in a road accident. The team was on its way back to Aba from a tournament in Imo state.

The club announced the accident on their Twitter handle, saying the incident occurred on their way home after a tournament in Imo state.

Cause of mishap: Undisclosed.