Rivers State Commissioner for Sports and Chairman of the Rivers State Football Association, Chris Green, has condemned the violent scenes that followed a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match involving Kwara United and Rivers United, warning that the league risks sliding back to its troubled past.
Speaking after the 1–1 draw, Green described the incident as unacceptable, revealing that Rivers United’s General Manager, Okey Kpalukwu, was beaten and injured by irate fans after the home side conceded a late equaliser.
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“What we witnessed is very unfortunate and unacceptable,” Green said. “The NPFL appears to be going back to its dark days if such acts are allowed to continue. Our General Manager was assaulted by fans who took the law into their own hands, and that should never happen in football.”
Green stressed that hooliganism has no place in Nigerian football and called on league organisers to act decisively to protect players, officials and administrators.
“Football should unite people, not expose them to danger,” he added. “Justice must be served, and firm action taken to ensure incidents like this are completely stamped out of our league.”
His comments come amid renewed calls for stricter enforcement of security standards across NPFL venues, as stakeholders push to safeguard the credibility and professionalism of Nigeria’s top-flight football.
