Tears, sorrows and blood as Akwa United assaulted Enyimba Int’l Aba

Ben Udechukwu

It is no longer news that the league match between
Akwa United of Uyo and Enyimba FC of Aba ended in a
stalemate. What looks like man biting dog is that the
Chairman of Enyimba Supporters Club Mr Ogbonnaya Agwu
is lying critically ill in the hospital while two
other persons are feared dead in a match that produced
casualites instead of excitement.

Prior to the encounter, soccer pundits had predicted
that based on the current form and standing of the
newly promoted Akwa United and the struggle by Enyimba
to return to envious reckoning, that the whole of Akwa
Ibom would stand still in honour of the most
entartaining and epoch making match. What with the
array of players who Enyimba lost to the Uyo Landlords
that had incited pre-match hype so much that all roads
led to Uyo. All that fizzled out after ninety
minutes.Yes! Akwa Ibom stood still to blood – letting,
confusion, anarchy and the most pronounced restiveness
in a league match in recent times.

Uga Opara, one of the players that featured as a
player to watch during pre-match analysis ‘triggered
off’ the mayhem when he stylishly noded home a corner
kick. By recording Enyimba’s name on the score sheet
before close of first half, the host fans suddenly had
detest for ‘blue’ (Enyimba color) that dominated the
stands. The police quickly cordoned off the area
housing the Aba fans and Enyimba Supporters. The
Police however lacked the capacity to check the very
many big stones that the hosts hauled on the guests
thus fueling suspicion that they worst is yet to
happen.

With the Enyimba defence maintaining a clean slate and
the hosts recording flashes of incursions, the stadium
began to be covered in clouds of uncertainty. It was
momentary relief for everybody as the home team
leveled the scores. The momentary relief created by
the first goal was yet to die down when the hard
fighting United came from behind to lead 2-1. While
the hosts were in jubilation, their guests felt secured and
desired so much to return in peace to their families.

Peace was punctured when the referee awarded a penalty
to Enyimba in fair response to a player from Akwa
United who handled a goal bound ball. That singular
call was the only tonic needed for the time bomb to
explode. The first Assistant referee was the first to
have a feel of the Akwa Ibom made terror. In one fell
swoop, the Assistant Referees, Centre Referee and
Enyimba players were cut in the cobweb of the
hooligans who wanted the match discontinued. The
presence of the police did not prevent them from
sacking players and officials.

If the Police succeeded in protecting those thousands
of lives from major attack, they failed in protecting
the brand new Mercedes Luxurious Bus belonging to
Enyimba FC and an Ox blood colored Toyota Camry
marked Rivers QQ 942 PHC belonging to Donald Uzoma
Egemba (aka DERO)of Enyimba Supporters Club that was
smashed by the irate fans.

Monday morning, thousands of fans were sighted mobbing
the Chairman of Enyimba FC Felix Anyansi Agwu who they
insisted must send strong and enforceable warning to
the NFL  in protest to the gestapo treatement they
received in Akwa Ibom either which they would make Aba
(not just the stadium) a hot pot for soccer pilgrims.
Majority of them claimed they took refuge in the
bushes in Akwa Ibom only to return Monday.

Vocal 19 year old Kalu Okuwa simply described the
incident as a ‘national shame’. He boasted that at his
age he had criss – crossed the length and breadth of
Nigeria in search of soccer fun, that he has never
seen a thing like this before.

While there are unconfirmed reports of pockets of
reprisal attacks in Uyo, Aba was absolutely calm at
least as at press time. Howver, the atmosphere in Aba
stadium Monday morning was that of fear, anxiety and
apprehension as scores of parents and family members
were still not certain of the whereabouts of their
children who had traveled to Uyo for the Sunday match.

As at press time, the Chairman of Enyimba FC
supporters Club was still receiving treatment at
Wimpole Clinic Aba. It is feared that he may have
sustained serious head and neck injuries from attacks
by the United Supporters.

The incident yet brings to the fore the celebrated
cases of insecurity of lives and property across
league venues. Why do we court curative measures when
preventive approach appears must efficacious? Why did
the police, though overwhelmed by the crowd shoot at
fans? In that instance, shooting would not have been
the best? What could the Akwa United supporters give
as reasons for descending so low? What could
precipitate that level of violence even in the face of
police presence? If our league is actually worth N680
or so million, the NFA and NFL have the uphill task of
instilling discipline. If you remove discipline from
soccer, what we have is the immoral equivalent of war.
The anxious eyes are watching.

Posted: 27th March 2007