NFF Appeals Committee Relegates Kano Pillars From NPFL

NFF Appeals Committee Relegates Kano Pillars From NPFL 

....Tasks Maisu Gida Management To Head To Court of Arbitration for Sports

Our Reporter

The Appeals Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have rubber stamped the relegation of Kano Pillars after more than two decades in the topflight division, reports BSNSports.com.ng

The Maisu Gida were condemned to their worst nightmare less than 48 hours to their season final Nigeria Professional Football League match against Shooting Stars on Sunday at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a communique on Saturday informed of the Appeals Committee decision, as it confirmed the deduction of 3 points from Kano Pillars.

Regarding the match between Kano Pillars FC v. Dakkada Int’l FC, played on 23rd June, 2022 at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, Kano State.

Findings

The Committee found as a fact that Kano Pillars FC did not challenge findings No. 5 of the decision of the NFF Disciplinary Committee, which is the assault on the Asst. Referee 1 by the former Chairman of Kano Pillars FC.

That Dakkada Int’l FC admitted that their camera was not totally destroyed, but the memory card was removed and the microphone destroyed, but the recording was saved on the internal memory of the camera and same was forwarded to League Management Company and it is in the League Management Company’s record.

The Committee found as a fact that the League Management Company’s letter dated 14th July, 2022, was contemptuous of the NFF Appeals’ and Disciplinary Committees and their representative, Uche George Egbe, refused to withdraw the letter when demanded by the Appeals’ Committee.

Decision of the Appeals’ Committee

Finding No.5 of the Disciplinary Committee, which was not appealed against by the Appellant, was what the Committee found as the main crux of the disruption of the match by the attack of the Kano Pillars former Chairman on Asst. Referee 1, as shown in the pictorial evidence presented before the Committee. In view of the above, the Appeal fails. 

On the issue of the destroyed camera, the Committee agrees that the memory card was removed and the pouch of the microphone was destroyed, as such, this constitute damage to property, therefore, the appeal fails.

The decision of the Disciplinary Committee is hereby upheld. Consequently, the appeal is hereby dismissed.

On the League Management Company’s letter dated 14th July, 2022, addressed to the General Secretary, Nigeria Football Federation, having found that the letter is contemptuous, League Management Company is hereby barred from sending such letter to the Nigeria Football Federation. League Management Company has been cautioned several times, as the letter was trying to sway the decision of the NFF Appeals’ Committee.

An appeal against this decision shall lie to Court of Arbitration for Sports, Lausanne, Switzerland. (Art. 70 of NFF Statutes 2010.).

A request for the ground of this decision must be sent in writing to the NFF General Secretariat within 10 days of the receipt of notification of the finding of the decision. Failure to do so within the stated deadline will result in the decision becoming binding and final.