Chairman of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, FC IfeanyiUbah, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has been handed a 10-game stadium ban by the League Management Company.
Chief Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, proprietor of FC Ifeanyiubah, is suspended from all #NPFL match venues for the next 10 matches.
— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016
The LMC took the decision on Thursday after finding the kerosene merchant guilty of encroaching the field of play in his club’s match against Heartland on March 23 and further “assaulting Heartland player Ebele Obi”.
Obi, 30, a goalkeeper for the Owerri-based side, is older brother of Super Eagles skipper John Obi Mikel.
The LMC had on Wednesday reprimanded Ubah for his action until an independent video emerged on micro-blogging social media, Twitter, showing Obi being assaulted by Ubah and his security personnel.
Finally this is The video where Ifeanyi ubah slapped heartland player in nnewi.@ebikagboro @Ikwerreman pic.twitter.com/NDWgwxsycf
— Micheal obasi (@Obasi1984) March 30, 2016
The league body, which oversees Nigeria’s top-flight, further announced that four of the 10-match ban on Ubah is “suspended for a probationary period till the end of the season.”
Aside the ban, Ubah was also fined the sum of N2.5 million to serve, and is expected to write “a letter of apology and an undertaking to be a good ambassador of the Nigerian league.”
The fabled billionaire is expected to offer a letter of apology & an undertaking to be a good ambassador of the #NPFL.
— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016
He has until 5pm local time on Saturday to appeal the LMC ruling.
In a related development, Heartland FC officials have accepted the order to pay N750, 000 for their failure to control their players who harassed the match referee and pushed him down.
Obi was handed a six-game ban by the league body on Wednesday for his role in the fracas and club manager, Oscar Keke, feels his “conduct is certainly not reflective of his usual behaviour”.
He added: “We are appealing for clemency on his behalf. Moreover, the gravity and level of punishment coming on the heels of the brutality he suffered in the hands of the proprietor of FC IfeanyiUbah and his security aides will amount to double jeopardy for the young man.”
Also resulting from the game, the LMC has recommended to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that Match Commissioner, Sunday Jibrin Audu, from Federal Capital Territory and the Centre Referee, Ibrahim Ajao, be withdrawn from further officiating in NPFL matches.
