NLO Slams Heavy Sanctions On Peace FC Over Ineligible Players

NLO Slams Heavy Sanctions On Peace FC Over Ineligible Players

Sampson Adedeji 

The Nationwide League One (NLO) has imposed severe sanctions on Peace FC of Anambra over the illegal registration and fielding of players currently registered with Nigeria National League (NNL) clubs, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

According to the NLO, the club was found guilty of breaching player eligibility and amateur status regulations under Articles 3:01 (5), (8), (11), (13) and 9:02 of the league rules after submitting false registration documents.

The players involved in the case are Abasim Henry of Solution FC, Mbakaogu Chibuike of EDEL FC, and Ekwo Stanley, also of Solution FC.

The NLO Secretariat disclosed that the infractions were uncovered during a routine verification exercise, leading to disciplinary proceedings against the club.

Following its sitting on May 19, 2026, the NLO Disciplinary Committee ruled that Peace FC’s actions constituted serious misconduct capable of damaging the integrity of the amateur league.

As part of the sanctions, the club will forfeit all matches involving the ineligible players, with affected opponents awarded three points and a 3-0 scoreline, or any higher score already recorded in those matches.

The club was also fined N500,000, which must be paid to the NLO Secretariat within seven days.

In addition, Peace FC has been suspended from all NLO competitions for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season and placed on probation for the next two seasons. 

The league warned that any further violation during the probationary period could attract stricter punishment, including possible expulsion from the league.

The club official found responsible for the infractions has also been banned from all football-related activities under the NLO for 12 months.

The ruling takes immediate effect, although Peace FC retains the right to appeal the decision before the Nigeria Football Federation Appeals Committee within 72 hours, in line with the league’s appeals procedure.