NFF Upholds Fines, Points Deductions for Kano Pillars and Katsina United

The NFF Disciplinary Committee has upheld a series of fines and sanctions against both Kano Pillars FC and Katsina United FC following separate reviews of crowd‑related misconduct during their NPFL home matches.

Meeting on 17 December 2025, the committee affirmed that both clubs failed in their responsibility to provide adequate security and to control the behaviour of their supporters, leading to incidents that disrupted matches and endangered players and officials.

For Kano Pillars, the committee confirmed the NPFL’s earlier fines of ₦1,000,000 each for failure to provide effective security and for the throwing of objects onto the pitch during the 12 October fixture against Shooting Stars FC at the Sani Abacha Stadium.

It also upheld ₦1,500,000 in compensatory damages to match officials and maintained the deduction of three points and three goals from the club’s accrued tally due to assaults on match officials.

While the initial order to close the Sani Abacha Stadium indefinitely was reviewed, the committee reduced the sanction to a five‑match ban, to run concurrently from the date of issuance. Additional sanctions under Summary Jurisdiction were partially upheld, with fines of ₦1,000,000 each imposed where evidence did not support higher penalties.

In the case of Katsina United FC, the committee also upheld fines of ₦1,000,000 for inadequate security and another ₦1,000,000 for the throwing of objects and stones that resulted in injury to Barau FC player Abraham Nana during their 8 November match at the Mohammed Dikko Stadium.

Further sanctions were partially adopted, including ₦500,000 each under Sanctions Nos. 5 and 6 due to insufficient evidence to justify larger compensatory claims.

The earlier directive relocating Katsina United to Jos City Stadium to play behind closed doors was reviewed and reduced to a five‑match ban, which will apply upon the club’s return to its home ground.

Sanction No. 8 was upheld in full. All decisions remain subject to appeal.

Both rulings were issued by the committee chaired by Barr. J.B.C. Obikwelu, with Vice Chairman Barr. A.I. Abdulrahman, members Barr. Wole Ademoyegun and Barr. Bello Galadi, and Secretary Queen W. Otarakpo, Esq., in attendance.