It is no longer news that the Super Eagles of Nigeria would not be at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar, no thanks to their failure to beat the Black Stars of Ghana in the second leg play-off match at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday.
Be that as it may, Nigerians who throng the stadium in their thousands on that day to cheer the team to victory would not forget so easily what they suffered in the hands of some overzealous security personnel.
Timeline.ng observed how security personnel drafted to coordinate and maintain peace at the gates of the various entry points at the stadium humiliated, abused and maltreated the fans. Even renowned Nigerian sports administrators, foreigners and top personalities alike were not left out of the unfortunate treatment.
“It was a bad day for Nigerian football as soccer fans witnessed the lackadaisical attitude displayed by security men drafted to handle activities at all the entry points at the stadium”.
“That was the height of the country’s poor security system and lack of training for security men. That was a complete failure and a disgrace to the Nigerian nation”.
“For example, if a bigwig in Nigerian football in the person of the first Vice President of the NFF, Seyi Akinwumi can be so humiliated and frustrated while trying to gain entry to watch the match, imagine what ordinary Nigerians football fan went through. That was funny”.
“Akinwunmi, had every identification document on him, like his official match tag etc, but, he was still very much frustrated and harassed. That was senseless on the part of the so-called security operatives”, a source told Timeline news.
Some other personalities like Obi Cubana, factional NBBF president, Mark Igoche and several other dignitaries who found their way into the stadium could not find a seat to sit on despite holding their VIP tickets.
Many foreign dignitaries who came in with their families, wearing the Nigerian jerseys apparently coming to support the Super Eagles were not spared the embarrassment as they were seen hanging around very uncomfortably within the overstretched media tribune of the stadium.
Personalities like AIPS Africa President, Mitchel Obi; activist, Omoyele Sowore, Stadium maintenance guru, Ebi Egbe; Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Shola Aiyepekun; Gombe state FA Chairman, Yakubu Sarma and top Nigerian women advocate, Ronke Bello could not find a way at all into the stadium despite having their tags or VIP tickets. .
In his reaction, AIPS (Africa) President, Mitchell Obi, confirmed the incident saying, “Let me say that it was not a good day to experience what happened. How can the people drafted to maintain peace go against what they were expected to carry out? That was a big disgrace to our country”.
“Yes, I was denied access to enter the stadium by security men in one of the entry points”. I can tell you that as at the time this was happening, the seats at the stadium were still very empty even the VIP session, and I wonder why they did what they did to Nigerians who came out in their numbers to support the national team”.
“The truth is I was disappointed with what I went through because it was not a good development at all," stated Obi.