Abia Warriors fight five-match ban on media officer

Abia Warriors have appealed against the five-match suspension imposed on their multimedia officer, Chidera Favour Igwe, describing the punishment as excessive and unjustified, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Umuahia-based club denied that Igwe attempted to disrupt a live broadcast during their Matchday 10 fixture on October 25, insisting that she merely expressed displeasure over what she considered poor officiating.

In their appeal to the Nigeria Premier Football League, Abia Warriors said Igwe asked a broadcast cameraman to focus on the visiting team’s section after allegedly keeping his camera on her for an extended period. The club maintained that she did not obstruct the cameraman from performing his duties and urged the league to reconsider the sanction.

The club also challenged a separate allegation of inadequate security during the fixture, following a notice over an alleged breach of Rule 8.13.52 of the 2026/2027 EUROMATCH NPFL Framework and Rules.

Abia Warriors insisted that adequate security arrangements were in place, arguing that broadcast footage could help establish what transpired. They added that the visiting team left the stadium without molestation or any reported security incident and urged the league to obtain the visitors’ account before reaching a decision.

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The club called for the withdrawal of the security notice, reaffirming its commitment to complying with league regulations and maintaining professional relationships with match officials, broadcast partners and other stakeholders.

Abia Warriors also asked the NPFL to reconsider Igwe’s suspension if the league determines that disciplinary action is warranted.

The league’s response to the club’s submissions was not included in the information available for this report.

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