NPFL: Ikorodu City Held Hostage In Ibadan Following Draw With 3SC [Video]

Lagos-based club, Ikorodu City, were reportedly held hostage following a goalless draw with Shooting Stars SC (3SC) in the ongoing 2024-2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) campaign on Sunday, April 6, 2025.

Following the said game, some dissatisfied fans of Shooting Stars SC expressed their frustrations by holding players and officials of Ikorodu City FC in the dressing room at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

Video footage showed Ikorodu City’s players and officials in a darkened room, relying on the light from their mobile phones after stadium officials reportedly cut the power supply.

“I have heard similar stories before in the NPFL, but this is my first time experiencing it”, one of the officials from Ikorodu City told SaharaReporters.

He described the situation, stating, “We are being held in the dressing room after the match ended in a goalless draw. The lights have been switched off, and we cannot exit – both players and officials. The team bus has been vandalized.”

Further videos revealed that the visiting team’s bus was significantly damaged, and reports indicated that one official sustained injuries during the turmoil. Violence erupted shortly after the final whistle of the Match Day 32 fixture, fueled by frustrations over the team’s inability to secure a win at home.

The fans, expressing their disappointment, began by throwing objects onto the pitch, which later escalated to locking the visiting team inside their dressing room. Taking advantage of the inadequate security, the crowd vandalized Ikorodu City’s team bus and physically confronted one of the officials.

Such incidents of violence in Nigerian football are, unfortunately, not isolated cases. Over the years, many stadiums across the country have witnessed clashes involving fans, club officials, and referees.

Naija News gathered that Ikorodu City’s players and officials were rescued and escorted out of the stadium by the men of the Nigerian Army.

Following the match, Shooting Stars held the 4th position in the league standings with 48 points from 32 games, closely followed by Ikorodu City with 46 points from 31 matches.