On Monday, November 11, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) handed down serious penalties to Bendel Insurance after a violent incident during their match against Kano Pillars on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
Bendel Insurance lost the game 1-0 at home at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, but the bigger story came off the pitch. The club was found guilty of assaulting the match officials and failing to provide enough security for the game.
As a result, Bendel Insurance will lose three points and three goals from the match. They will also have to pay a N2 million fine for not making sure their fans behaved and for not providing proper security during the game.
The club will face an additional N1 million fine for actions that could damage the reputation of the league. They will also need to pay N250,000 each to the three referees who were assaulted during the match: Adeniyi Adewale, Anuoluwapo Balogun, and Sodiq Sonibare.
Bendel Insurance has 48 hours from the notice to appeal these sanctions, meaning they have a short time to respond to the punishment.
