The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Disciplinary Committee has upheld multiple sanctions against Kano Pillars FC following crowd violence during their Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match against Shooting Stars FC.

The decisions were taken at the committee’s meeting held on December 17, 2025, to consider a protest lodged by Kano Pillars against earlier sanctions imposed by the NPFL over the match played on October 12, 2025, at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

In its findings, the committee ruled that Kano Pillars failed to provide adequate and effective security, which allowed unauthorised persons access to restricted areas of the stadium. It further established that supporters of the club threw objects onto the field of play, forcing a temporary stoppage of the match.

The committee also found that home supporters invaded the pitch and assaulted players of Shooting Stars FC as well as match officials. It noted that officials of Kano Pillars admitted that the actions of their supporters were condemnable and appealed for leniency. The conduct of the supporters, the committee ruled, was capable of bringing the game into disrepute.

Based on these findings, the committee upheld a fine of N1 million against Kano Pillars for failure to provide adequate security, and another N1 million fine for the throwing of objects onto the pitch.

While it set aside Sanctions 3 and 4 contained in the NPFL Summary Jurisdiction Notice (Form 16), the committee ruled that those infractions had already been addressed under earlier sanctions.

The committee partially adopted Sanction 5 and Sanction 6, imposing N1 million each in fines, noting that there was insufficient evidence to justify the full compensatory claims under those counts.

It also upheld a compensatory award of N1.5 million to match officials in line with Article C.12 of the NPFL Framework and Rules.

In addition, the committee confirmed the deduction of three points and three goals from Kano Pillars’ accumulated tally for the assault on match officials.

However, the committee reviewed the sanction ordering the indefinite closure of the Sani Abacha Stadium, reducing it to a five-match stadium ban, to run concurrently from the date of the sanction.

The committee further adopted Sanction 10 of the Summary Jurisdiction Notice in its entirety, while stressing that all decisions are without prejudice to the club’s right of appeal.

The meeting was chaired by Barrister J.B.C. Obikwelu, with Barrister A.I. Abdulrahman as Vice Chairman. Other members present were Barrister Wole Ademoyegun and Barrister Bello Galadi, while Queen W. Otarakpo, Esq., served as Secretary.