Wikki Tourists FC and Katsina United FC played out a dramatic 3–3 draw in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 25 clash, a game that was eventually abandoned following serious crowd disturbances and alleged attacks on match officials and club personnel, according to Nigeriasoccernet.com.
The encounter was brought to a halt shortly after Katsina United scored an equaliser late in the game, amid reports that the centre referee was attacked. This incident reportedly forced the reserve referee to step in, leading to a prolonged delay before the fixture was eventually abandoned after 90 minutes plus 22 minutes had been played.
In a related development, Katsina United chairman, Surajo Malumfashi, was reportedly injured following an alleged encroachment by Wikki Tourists supporters. He was reportedly given medical attention at a hospital in Bauchi. A video circulating on social media shows Malumfashi with a visible head injury, with blood stains on his shaved scalp.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Wikki Tourists FC nor Katsina United FC has released an official statement on the incident. The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) organisers are yet to comment on the situation.
According to match officials, the abandoned fixture is expected to resume at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, with the remaining 12 minutes scheduled to be completed, pending official confirmation from the league body.
On the pitch, the match delivered plenty of drama before the unfortunate scenes. Wikki Tourists made a fast start when Mairiga opened the scoring in the 5th minute. Katsina United responded through Collins, who netted the first of his hat-trick in the 20th minute. Jubrin restored the hosts’ lead from the penalty spot in the 27th minute, but Collins struck again in the 35th minute to bring the visitors level.
Ibrahim put Wikki Tourists ahead once more in the 53rd minute, only for Collins to complete his hat-trick with a well-taken goal in the 62nd minute, ensuring parity for Katsina United.
Following the outcome, Wikki Tourists sit 16th on the NPFL standings with 28 points from 24 matches, while Katsina United occupy 10th position with 33 points from the same number of games, as attention now shifts to the league’s decision on the abandoned fixture.