JUST-IN: Katsina United Fans Attack Barau FC Player After Equaliser

Tension erupted on Saturday during a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) encounter between Katsina United FC and Barau Football Club, after a player from the latter, Nana Abraham, was brutally attacked by enraged home fans and left with a deep cut on his neck.

The violence broke out moments after Barau FC’s Orji Kalu scored a 69th-minute equaliser to level the game at 1–1, a development that appeared to infuriate a section of the Katsina United supporters inside the stadium.

The Barau FC confirmed the incident on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, saying at 70th minute, the match was temporarily halted following the attack on their player Nana Abraham.

A disturbing image of the incident showed Nana Abraham bleeding profusely from a neck wound as teammates and match officials struggled to control the chaos on the pitch. The match was temporarily halted while security operatives intervened to restore order.

As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official statement from either Katsina United or the NPFL management regarding the attack.

LEADERSHIP reports that Saturday’s violence came barely a month after a similar incident in Kano, where fans of Kano Pillars invaded the pitch at the Sani Abacha Stadium following a late equaliser by Shooting Stars (3SC) of Ibadan during a Matchday 8 fixture.

Security forces had to fire teargas canisters to disperse violent fans who attacked referees, match officials, and players, leading to chaos inside the stadium.

In response, the NPFL slammed heavy sanctions against Kano Pillars, including a ₦9.5 million fine, deduction of three points and three goals, and an indefinite closure of the Sani Abacha Stadium.