SNOW TV NEWS DESK
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has indefinitely suspended referee Abdulrasheed Jimoh and assistant referee Zakari Adamu following a controversial officiating decision that denied Kwara United an apparent equaliser in their 1–0 defeat to Enugu Rangers.
The decision was announced by the NFF Refereeing Development Committee after reviewing Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 12 encounter at the Awka Township Stadium.
The committee reportedly found that the officials wrongly disallowed what it described as a validly scored goal, ruling that the decision had unfairly affected the outcome of the match.
Rangers secured all three points after Victor Chimezie put them ahead five minutes before half-time. The forward received a pass from Pius Igwe before finding the back of the net from a tight angle.
However, the match took a controversial turn in the 78th minute when Kwara United appeared to have restored parity through Alex Jerry. The celebrations were cut short after assistant referee Zakari Adamu raised his flag for an infringement, prompting the goal to be disallowed.
Rangers eventually held on to their narrow advantage, leaving Kwara United without a point from the encounter.
The latest disciplinary action is another indication of the NFF’s growing scrutiny of refereeing decisions in the domestic league, particularly incidents capable of changing the outcome of matches.
In September, the federation also indefinitely suspended assistant referee Yakubu Aliyu over an incorrect offside decision during Doma United’s Matchday 3 fixture against Enyimba.
Although Doma United won that encounter 2–0, the refereeing committee maintained that Aliyu had failed to follow the required offside guidelines, including the instruction for assistant referees to delay raising their flags in certain situations until an attacking move has concluded.
The committee said the decision affected the scoreline and outcome of the match, leading to his removal from the list of league match officials.
The repeated incidents have raised fresh concerns about the standard of officiating in the NPFL, where controversial decisions involving disallowed goals, penalties, and missed infringements have continued to attract criticism from clubs and supporters.
While suspending officials may serve as a disciplinary measure, the bigger question is whether such sanctions will produce lasting improvements.
For Nigerian football to build greater confidence in its domestic competitions, stakeholders will expect more than punishment after mistakes have been made. Improved referee training, consistent performance assessments, accountability, and the effective use of available technology will also be important.
For Kwara United, the disallowed goal represents a costly moment in a match they could have salvaged. For the NFF, the latest suspensions place renewed attention on its responsibility to ensure that refereeing decisions do not undermine the credibility of the league.
“Sir Bartholomew White Ebe is a Lagos-based media personality, Music Artist, Producer, and a Relationship Coach and independent journalist. With over seven years of experience tracking political developments and cultural shifts in Nigeria, he specializes in local current affairs, grassroots politics, and community-driven reporting across Lagos State. As the founder and chief editor of Snow Multimedia Connect {SNOW TV}, he leads the editorial team to deliver verified, high-impact stories to digital audiences.”
Email: snowmediaconnect@gmail.com
