Sammy Wejinya ,SA,River State Sports Commissioner revealed to Salient Times Newspaper that Sunday, December 22, 2024 will remain a day I’ll never forget in my life.
It was a day when I escaped death by a hair’s breath at the Lafia City Stadium.
I arrived at the Stadium on the said date at around 3:15pm to watch the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) game between Nasarawa United and Rivers United.
As the game neared it’s conclusion, the scores stood at 1-1.
Rivers United had a break and three players in Blue honed in towards the Nasarawa United penalty area.
The Stadium held its collective breath as a goal by the visitors would have sounded the death knell on Nasarawa United, a side hovering just above the relegation zone of the table.
At that opportune moment, a Nasarawa United player made a heroic intervention via a well-time tackle and the chance disappeared in smoke.
As I screamed and put my hands on my head at that missed opportunity by Rivers United, several Nasarawa United fans who were beside and behind me at the VIP stand of the Stadium immediately asked me to shut my mouth.
I was taken aback and moments later, these irate fans descended on me and gave me the beating of my life.
I was stripped of my shoes as dragged me across the floor on the VIP stand.
My watch and mobile phone were snatched from me as the beating continued.
The same fate also befell Barr. Green and Chief Kpalukwu who also lost their wrist watches, phones and personal effects in the melee.
Kicks, punches and slaps were rained on me despite the valiant effort of the Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Barr. Chris Green to stop the Nasarawa fans from manhandling me.
Barr. Green has been seated next to me in the VIP stand, alongside the General Manager of Rivers United FC, Chief Okey Kpalukwu, who is also the Chairman of the club owners Association of Nigeria all game and witnessed this harrowing experience.
The Nasarawa United fans were relentless in their bloodthirsty mission of manhandling me as some picked up plastic and Iron seats to pelt me.
They also turned their attention to Barr. Green and Chief Kpalukwu, manhandling them as well, for having the effrontery to try to intervene as they beat me up.
At that moment, I thought about my Wife and two young daughters.
My life flashed before my very eyes and I wondered if coming to the Stadium to watch a football club I love (Rivers United FC) was worth my life.
It was a sorry and scary sight.
I pleaded with the fans and begged for my life but they wouldn’t listen.
At that moment and I said a quiet prayer and almost on cue, help arrived.
The two gallant Inspectors attached to the Rivers United FC team, Inspector Brown Ijong Adechabo Otache
stormed the VIP section of the Lafia City Stadium, having spotted my precarious situation from afar, to rescue me.
If those officers had arrived even seconds later than they did, I doubt I would have been alive to tell this story.
The gallant Police officers then shielded me and pulled me away from the blood-thirsty mob and I gratefully trudged beside them on unsteady legs.
I was rushed to the Hospital where medics promptly attended to me.
I’m still in pains as I sustained severe injuries from the beating I received from the mob and I have continued asking myself the question, what if I had been killed in Lafia on Sunday?
I also noticed that there was practically no security presence in that Stadium on Sunday, which ostensibly allowed those fans to have a field day.
I ask again….is watching an NPFL game worth a Man’s life?.
