The violence broke out moments after Barau’s Orji Kalu scored a 69th-minute equaliser to make the game 1-1, a development that appeared to infuriate some Katsina United supporters at the stadium.
Tension erupted on Saturday during a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) encounter between Katsina United and Barau Football Club, after a Barau’s player, Nana Abraham, was attacked and left with a deep cut on his neck by enraged fans of the home team.
The violence broke out moments after Barau’s Orji Kalu scored a 69th-minute equaliser to make the game 1-1, a development that appeared to infuriate some Katsina United supporters at the stadium.
Barau FC, confirming the attack in a post on its official X handle, wrote:
“70’ The match is temporarily halted following an attack on Barau FC player, Nana Abraham. Katsina United | 1-1 | Barau FC
#MaliyaBoysTogetherForVictory #KatBar #NPFL26.”
Just a minute earlier, the club had celebrated the equaliser with another post that read:
“69’ Goal Orji Kalu level the scores.
Katsina United | 1-1 | Barau FC.”
A disturbing picture obtained by SaharaReporters shows Nana Abraham bleeding from a visible neck wound, as officials and teammates struggled to control the chaos on the pitch.
The match, played in Katsina, was halted for a short time as security operatives battled to restore order.
There was no immediate statement from the NPFL management or Katsina United at the time of filing this report.
The attack has once again raised concerns about fan violence and poor security management in Nigerian football stadiums, with calls growing for urgent disciplinary measures against the perpetrators and the club.
This is coming barely a month after SaharaReporters broke a similar report in Kano at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
This happened after Shooting Stars (3SC) of Ibadan scored a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser to snatch a 1-1 draw against Kano Pillars in a Matchday 8 fixture of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL).
SaharaReporters learned that shortly after the away team scored, furious Kano Pillars supporters stormed the pitch, physically assaulting the referee, match officials, and Shooting Stars players.
This forced security operatives to fire teargas in a desperate bid to restore order.
This violence made the Nigeria’s Premier Football League (NPFL) slammed heavy sanctions on Kano Pillars Football Club, including a ₦9.5million fine, deduction of 3 points and 3 goals, and an indefinite closure of the Sani Abacha Stadium.
The decision, contained in a formal document titled “FORM 16: Summary Jurisdiction Notice”, dated October 13, 2025, and signed by Davidson Owumi, the NPFL’s Chief Operating Officer, found the Kano-based club guilty of multiple breaches of the league’s Frameworks and Rules.
