Security expert, strategist and former footballer Bestman Nze Jumbo has said that only firm personal and institutional discipline can end the persistent violence and hooliganism troubling Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) stadiums.
READ ALSO: Two Exciting Nigerian Descents Ready to Answer the Super Eagles’ Call
Jumbo made the remarks while speaking on FAMTV Global, where he shared his views on security and sports development in Nigeria.
He identified poor discipline, weak governance and compromised leadership as the major drivers of unrest in the domestic league.
According to him, violence in football arenas is a reflection of wider societal challenges rather than an isolated sports problem. He stressed that what plays out in stadiums mirrors the values and conduct tolerated in society.
“If you were corrupt before you were brought into a position of authority, you will manifest it there,” Jumbo said.
“If you were a good person before you were brought in, you will remain good. Power only exposes who you really are.”
The Alternate Security Expert maintained that indiscipline lies at the heart of Nigeria’s security challenges, including those witnessed at football venues.
“Security starts from discipline,” he said. “Without discipline, even the best security arrangements will fail. You cannot secure the nation or the stadium if discipline is absent.”
Jumbo explained that most incidents of unrest at match venues are not caused by terrorists or hardened criminals, but by local miscreants who exploit weak systems.
“These are not bandits or insurgents,” he noted. “They are local boys who steal, snatch phones, harass players and officials, and sometimes turn violent because the system allows them.”
He further alleged that some of these individuals operate with the knowledge or backing of people in authority within club football.
“In our sporting arenas, these miscreants form the core of insecurity,” Jumbo said. “Some of them even enjoy patronage from those in power. In club football, we all know what happens.”
On leadership and governance, Jumbo warned that compromised officials enable disorder by shielding known troublemakers.
“The people who cause trouble at various stadiums are known to club owners and club boards,” he stated. “Sometimes, they are even paid to come and intimidate referees and visiting teams.”
Addressing football administration, Jumbo raised concerns about corruption and the erosion of trust, saying these factors have driven sponsors away from the Nigerian league.
“There are many anomalies,” he said. “You can have someone openly admit inducing a match official—which is match-fixing—and people still say, ‘Go for it.’ Once there is no trust, sponsors will walk away.”
On youth football development, Jumbo urged Nigerians to be patient with recent struggles at age-grade levels, attributing past success to unethical practices.
“We were doing well before because we were using overage players,” he explained. “Now, MRI scans and other measures have stopped that cheating. We are now playing boys of the same age, or close to it, like other countries.”
Proffering long-term solutions, Jumbo called for credible and disciplined Nigerians to be appointed into key decision-making positions across the football ecosystem, including league and regulatory bodies.
“We must put good Nigerians in positions of decision-making,” he said. “If we don’t, we will keep having the same problems over and over again.”
He concluded by emphasising personal responsibility as the foundation of reform, insisting that real change must start with individuals.
“Until we begin to think from within and say that change must start from me,” Jumbo said, “this thing will not change.”
