By: Felix Ikpotor
Enyimba trio of Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, Abu Azeez and Joseph Osadiaye all former players of Warri Wolves reportedly attacked Warri Wolves general manager, Moses Etu on Sunday evening in Umuahia shortly after Enyimba defeated Warri Wolves 2-1 in a rescheduled NPFL tie.
Enyimba opened scoring in the second minute of the encounter through former Sharks player, Christian Pyagbara but Wolves managed to level before the halftime break via Shedrack Oghu. The home team scored a second through substitute Andrew Abalogu on 72 minutes after Wolves goalkeeper, Tejiri Rhogbere spilled a free kick taken by another ex-Sharks player, Chima Akas.
The centre referee had a field day stamping his authority on the match as he flashed yellow cards at will at both ends with the high point of the match being the red card shown to Solomon Okpako who was among the best players of the visiting Warri Wolves before his moment of madness in the 75th minute when he kicked Ibenegbu after an infringement given in favour of Enyimba seconds earlier.
The red card did not go down well with players of Warri Wolves as they cornered the centre referee with a view to changing his decision made on Okpako but Enyimba players too were there to resist the move.
Shortly after the match, the three former Wolves players – Ibenegbu, Azeez and Osadiaye – were seen having a heated exchange with the General Manager Etu and which led to a fight with the trio beating up Etu before he was rescued by the security.
The situation degenerated into a mayhem at the Umuahia Township Stadium with players of both teams trying to separate the two warring parties leading to exchange of words.
We learnt that the bone of contention was the outstanding debt owed the players by Warri Wolves. The players are angry over the decision of the ‘Seasiders’ management not to pay them match bonuses from last season’s campaign as due, allowances that had been paid to their ex-team mates.
We also gathered that the team said they would not be paid because they had left the team despite being owed backlogs of unpaid signing-on fees.
In a swift reaction, the Enyimba management has fined the trio 300,000 Naira each.
Chairman of Enyimba FC, Felix Anyasi Agwu said: “I want to say that we in strong terms dissociate ourselves from the act exhibited by three of our players [on Sunday] after our league match with Warri Wolves. The game ended peacefully without any problem with both sides playing the game of their lives before we scored the winning goal. It could have gone either way,”.
“But Ibenegbu, Osadiaye and Azeez did what we as a club will never support. We always believe in dialogue and peaceful resolution of any problem and I want to say that the act display by them won’t be condoned in Enyimba. I have told them that they will be heavily fined and we are sticking to that. We are going to fine each of them N300,000 for their act and there will be other form of sanctions too internally.
“They must also apologize to the General Manager of Warri Wolves, Moses Etu, Warri Wolves and their team mates for their action and they must also sign an undertaken that they will henceforth be of good conduct and also serve the interest of the club as an ambassador,” he concluded.
The League Management Company had yet to make a statement on the situation yet.
