NPFL Hammer Falls On Enyimba, Lobi Stars, Others Over Salary Debts

NPFL Hammer Falls On Enyimba, Lobi Stars, Others Over Salary Debts

Precious Oham 

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Thursday moved to enforce arbitration decisions of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Players Status/Arbitration Committee following the failure of affected clubs to take advantage of extended windows of moratorium, BSNSports.com.ng reports. 

The clubs were respectively dragged to the NFF Committee in disputes over salaries and entitlement of some of their former players and coaches.

The Committee entered judgment in favour of the petitioners and gave the affected clubs a time frame and process for compliance.

"Having exhausted the period of grace, we have moved to enforce the judgment and the first step is to withdraw licenses of all newly transferred and registered players of the affected clubs for the ongoing season", explained Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL.

In a letter to the affected clubs, referenced "Indefinite Withdrawal of Licenses of Newly Registered Players For the 2024/25 Season due to Non-Compliance with NFF Players Status/Arbitration Committee Decision", the NPFL notified the clubs that the Withdrawal of the licenses will take effect from Matchday 10.

"As a result of this non -compliance, the licenses of the following newly transferred and registered players for the 2024/2025 season are hereby indefinitely withdrawn, effective from MatchDay 10", the letter stated.

Some of the clubs include Plateau United (14 players), Lobi Stars (15 players), Kwara United (20 players), Katsina United (players) and Enyimba International (18 players).

The others are El-Kanemi Warriors (13 players), Bayelsa United (18), Akwa United (17 players) and Abia Warriors (23 players).

The NPFL insisted that the licenses of the players would only be restored upon receipt of official confirmation that the club has fully complied with the decision.