TheCable

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) has suspended Ekene Adams, Remo Stars general manager, for assaulting the referee during his club’s game against Gombe United.

Adams was said to have assaulted Ndubuisi Ukah, the referee, in the dressing room which led to the disruption of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game on Sunday.

The game was later concluded on Monday and it finished goalless.

In a statement released on Wednesday, IMC said Adams is banned from “all NPFL activities for the rest of the season”, adding that Remo Stars must “ensure diligent prosecution” of the GM.

The club was also fined N1,250,000 for the double offence of “failing to adequately secure match Officials before, during and after the match” and “disturbances and disruptions which led to the discontinuation of a league match”.

Three points and three goals would also be docked from the cumulative of the club’s performance this season as punishment.

“The IMC in a Summary Jurisdiction notice signed by Davidson Owumi, the Head of Operations said the sanctions followed a review of findings of the official match report,” the statement reads.

“In the charge, Remo Stars was found in breach of Rules B8.21, B13.21, C11 and B13.52.

“For breach of Rule B8.21, which is failure to adequately secure match Officials before, during and after the match leading to the assault on one of them, the club was fined ₦500,000 and also directed to pay ₦250,000 to the said Official, Ukah Ndubuisi as compensation.

“For breach of Rules C.11, three points and three goals were ordered to be deducted from the total points and goals accrued to the club for the assault on the match official while Mr Ekene Adams identified as the attacker has been banned from all NPFL activities for the rest of the season.

“Remo Stars is also to ensure diligent prosecution in the law court, of Mr Adams, who is the Club’s General Manager. The Club was also found to have breached Rule B13.21 for disturbances and disruptions which led to the discontinuation of a league match. The club was fined ₦500,000.”

Remo Stars are currently third in Group A of the NPFL abridged league with 21 points from 12 games. The points deduction would see the team drop to fifth.