…Emmanuel Ujah barred indefinitely, asked to issue written apology
Abuja – The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has slammed an indefinite ban on the Media Director of Lobi Stars Football Club, Emmanuel Ujah, over allegations of match-fixing made during a recent media interview.
The league, in an official statement issued on Saturday, said Ujah’s comments were in breach of its Framework and Rules, describing them as “grievous” and made “without evidence.”
Ujah reportedly made the match-fixing claims during a radio interview but later recanted the allegation, admitting that his remarks were made in error and not backed by any verifiable facts.
“Ujah, on his volition, owned up to granting an interview in error and promised better conduct in the future,” the NPFL stated.
According to the league’s governing body, the Lobi Stars official also expressed deep remorse and claimed he was driven by emotion at the time of the statement.
“The Lobi Stars media director regrets his statement as he claimed that he was driven by emotion to make the grievous allegation,” the statement added.
As part of disciplinary measures, Ujah is now barred from all NPFL-related activities indefinitely. He is also required to issue a formal written apology and publicly retract the match-fixing allegations.
While distancing itself from Ujah’s conduct, the NPFL noted that some of the broader concerns raised during the interview would be jointly investigated by the league and Lobi Stars management to ensure transparency and fairness within the system.
The league reiterated its commitment to integrity and professionalism and warned that any official or club member found engaging in baseless accusations or unethical conduct would face similar sanctions.