Sports

FG Sets Up Panel Of Enquiry To Moshood Abiola National Stadium Vandalism

Published

5 years ago

March 31, 2022

…We Will Restore Dignity Of Nigerian Football-Sports Minister

By Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government on Thursday set up a panel to investigate the vandalism of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja after Tuesday’s 2022 World Cup playoff between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Black Stars of Ghana.

It will be recalled that irate fans went on rampage, destroying all within their sight after the game which ended in a 1-1 draw which put paid to the nation’s aspirations to be part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar later this year.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the Minister of youth and sports development Mr Sunday Dare described the acts of vandalism as saddening and unacceptable.

He expressed that, FG will not be seating and watch facilities built with taxpayers money be destroyed by unpatriotic Nigerians.

According to him, the Committee will invite all the security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police assigned to provide security for the match to give account on the number of arrest made in respect of the incident that happened at the stadium and to provide details of their investigation and prosecution, if any

“The Committee will visit the stadium to get first-hand information and evaluate the level of destruction in order to come up with a verifiable report accordingly.

“The Term of references include; Immediate and remote causes of the incident; determine the extent of destruction; investigate the role of the security agencies; identify the culprits v. Identification of the victims; Make recommendations on How to prevent future occurrence, Immediate and remote causes of the incident as well Make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence.

“Nigerians must stop destroying Government property. Anyone identified to be culpable in acts of vandalism at the national stadium will be prosecuted by the Federal Government. This must stop. The willful destruction of Government property across the country is unacceptable and must be condemned. While the failure to qualify is regrettable, the destruction is unacceptable and unjustified.”

However, the Minister said the committee has two weeks to submit its findings.

Also, Mr Dare condemned the quantum of destruction and vandalization of the newly refurbished Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja during the match.

Reacting to the failure of Super Eagles to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, Sports, on Thursday the Minister said, It is most unfortunate and regrettable that we are not going to Qatar.

He said: “I understand the unhappiness that followed our non-qualification for Qatar 2022.

“We take responsibility. We will rebuild and thank the Super Eagles players for their service. Our apologies as a Football administration ecosystem go out to fans who struggled to make it to their appropriate seating positions.

“The Nigerians that did this must be punished.”

In his remark, chairman of the committee, Retired DIG Sanni Usman said it’s a serious national assignment on behalf of the committee. We will do our best , we will be loyal and diligent and turn in a good report that Nigerians will be proud of.

Members include, Dr. Henry Nzekwu – Vice Chairman, Retired Navy Commodore Omatseye, Alhaji Abba Yola, Dr. Simon Ebhojiaye, Director Federations and Elite Athletes Department of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Others include, Mrs. Tayo Oreweme, Mr. Mitchell Obi, Representative of the Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS), Olumide Bamiduro of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports will serve as secretary.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

19 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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