The match official was beaten to pulp by angry fans
in the Nigeria Premier League promotion play off
between Ranchers Bees and Kwara United in Abuja
Referee Charles Ozigbo from Anambra State
received the beating of his life on Friday morning at
the Fifa Goal Project Technical Centre during the
National League Week 30 tie between Ranchers
Bees and Kwara United after he was pounced on b
fans allegedly loyal to Kaduna based Bees.

The initial game between the two teams was
abandoned in the 62nd minute at 2-2 at the Ahmad
Bello Stadium, Kaduna some weeks ago after Afonj
Warriors’ players had to run for safety over threat
on their lives from home fans who wanted Rancher
Bees’ return to the top flight at all costs.
Hell was let loose when the referee awarded a
penalty against Ranchers Bees and their fans
invaded the pitch to pounch on Ozigbo who was
beaten to a state of coma before he was eventually
rescued by the secretary of the FCT Football
Association, Usman Haruna.

"It was a pitiable sight to behold for lovers of
Nigerian football. You will notice from the beginning
that there was tension everywhere on the part of
Ranchers Bees. All their movement before the start
of the match was highly suspicious," Kwara
United's head of protocol Demola Kiyesola
recounted the incident to Goal.

"They didn’t come for the pre match meeting and
they didn’t come with their official team bus. What
we saw was them coming out from bush around
just before the game started.

"They (fans of Ranchers) were causing trouble fro
the start of the game because they never saw
anything good in the match officials handling of the
match.

"The infringement given to us was the straw that
incited the Ranchers Bees’ fans. They beat the
match officials and the policemen that came to
maintain law and order.”

Kiyesola said they have left everything in the hand
of the league organizers to look at the match report
of both the match officials and the match
commissioner with the video evidence too and then
decide what next to do.

Ranchers Bees needed a draw to qualify for the
premier league after many years in the lower
league while a win would see Kwara United gain an
instant return to the top flight after a season in the
lower cadre.

http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4111/nigeria-premier-league/2014/12/20/7248522/fans-attack-referee-ozigbo-in-league-game