₦1.7 Billion Stadium Scandal: How Monimichelle’s Failed Contract Relegated Lobi Stars and Betrayed Benue Govt

₦1.7 Billion Stadium Scandal: How Monimichelle’s Failed Contract Relegated Lobi Stars and Betrayed Benue Govt

By Niyi Busari 

The Promise of a New Era

When the Benue State Government announced on the 14th of August 2024 that it had signed a ₦1.7 billion contract with Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Ltd to upgrade the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, it was heralded as a defining moment.

The project promised nothing short of a full transformation: a FIFA standard pitch, digital scoreboard, high powered floodlights, sprinkler system, and a World Athletics certified track. For Lobi Stars Football Club, it was the dawn of hope, a return to their spiritual home after seasons of nomadic suffering. But that hope has since been crushed.

Eight months later, Benue hope lies in ruins. The stadium is incomplete, the pitch remains unplayable, and Lobi Stars have been relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). Over ₦1.3 billion in public funds have been paid in good faith vanished into an under-dekivered project that's now shrouded in controversy.

A History Of Neglect And A Chance At Redemption 

Aper Aku Stadium, once the pride of the North Central, named after Benue’s first civilian governor, hosted top flight football, national league and community tournaments for decades. But years of neglect turned the once glorious venue into a shadow of itself.

For years, Lobi Stars - former League champions and one-time CAF Champions League campaigners - were forced to play home games at 'borrowed home,' from Lafia to Bauchi and later to Enugu, a logistical nightmare that drained resources and deflated fan morale. It was this crisis that prompted Governor Hyacinth Alia to prioritize the stadium’s renovation early in his administration.

The contract was awarded to Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Ltd, headed by Ebi Egbe, a familiar name in sports infrastructure. The delivery timeline: sixty two days.

The Contract: Heavy Cash, High Hopes

According to documents reviewed by BSN Sports, the total contract sum was ₦1,703,208,983.83, split into three payment slots:

Slot 1: ₦585,444,000

• Synthetic turf

• Piston controlled pop up sprinkler system

• Digital scoreboard

• Renovated dressing rooms and wet areas

Slot 2: ₦425,000,000

• Procurement and upgrade of floodlights

Slot 3: ₦558,000,000

• World Athletics approved tartan track

But by 11th of April 2025, seven months after the deal was inked, the stadium should have become one the finest in Nigeria. Instead, it is a hollow shell with most of the critical components being paid for yet to materialize.

Ground Reality: A Stadium Still in Limbo

A BSN Sports inspection of the facility revealed that only minor renovations had been done:

What was found:

• Dressing rooms and referees’ quarters renovated

• External stadium walls partially painted

What was missing:

• No turf on the pitch

• No functional sprinkler system

• No digital scoreboard

• No functioning floodlights

• No athletics track

• No public address system

• No electrical upgrades

Despite releasing ₦1,339,208,983.83 about 80 percent of the contract value the stadium remains unfit for local league matches, let alone elite NPFL games.

Monimichelle Responds: "Blame Payment Delays"

In a letter dated the 6th of March 2025 and titled “Request for Extension of Contract Completion Period” Monimichelle admitted receiving 80 percent of the funds but attributed the delay to irregular payment timelines.

“Our contract duration is three months but the first mobilization of ₦522,114,869.59 only came in September, nearly a month after signing. The second milestone payment of ₦811,887,687.97 arrived two months later,” Egbe’s letter read.

The company insisted that the balance of 20% was needed to clear imported materials at Nigerian ports.

Government Fires Back: “Monimichelle Holding Benue to Ransom”

Benue State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Mr. Ikyange Terkimbi expressed dissatisfaction, accusing Monimichelle of shortchanging the people.

“How can a contractor collect 80 percent and still demand the balance without even laying the turf? This is an attempt to hold the state hostage,” he told BSN Sports.

Terkimbi disclosed that the government released the funds under immense pressure, banking on the stadium’s completion to help Lobi Stars retain their top flight status.

“We believed the pitch would be ready on time. That was the only lifeline Lobi Stars had in the NPFL. Instead, Monimichelle took advantage of our desperation,” the Commissioner lamented.

The Fallout: Relegation, Rage, and Calls for Action

Lobi Stars’ relegation has sparked a firestorm across Benue. Fans are outraged. Lawmakers are demanding accountability. Civil society groups are raising red flags.

Legal and public policy experts are urging the Benue State Government to:

• Invoke penalty clauses in the contract

• Petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

• Blacklist Monimichelle from future contracts

• Audit all sports related deals signed in the past five years

CONCLUSION: Accountability Now Or Never

With Lobi Stars demoted and the Aper Aku Stadium still in disrepair despite gulping over ₦1.3 billion the questions are glaring: who takes responsibility and what happens next?

The Benue State Government must now act decisively. Whether through legal redress, public accountability, or a complete overhaul of how contracts are awarded and monitored, the people demand answers.

Football is more than a game in Benue. It’s a way of life, a unifier, and a source of pride. That pride has been bruised, not just by relegation but by betrayal.

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: this saga cannot end in silence. Not for Benue state government. Not for the fans. Not for the future. Decisive action should be taken to forestall future occurrence.

Regardless, when fans will see Lobi Stars playing again, it will be in the lower division, the Nigeria National League. Surely, the pains from the betrayal by Monimichelle construction company lingers on as 'Pride of Benue' who suppose to be fighting for continental ticket will be struggling with other teams for NPFL ticket in the next league season.

BSN Sports Reports