LMC Wants Three Referees, Six Assistants Investigated

The League Management Company (LMC) has lodged a complaint with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Referees Committee against three center referees and their assistants for poor officiating in some of the Match Day 9 fixtures played on Sunday, May 17.

The LMC asked the Referees Committee to have the officials stepped down from further games should they have been appointed pending the outcome of investigations. The match officials are facing allegations of poor officiating, questionable calls and lack of diligence.

Center Referee Henry Ogunyamodi of Ondo State and his assistants are being investigated for the match in Nnewi between hosts Gabros International and Sharks of Port Harcourt. The assistant referees are O. O Awosakin of ondo and Justin Takyun of Nasarawa

Also to be investigated are the Referees that handled the Wikki Tourists versus Lobi Stars match in Bauchi. They are Center Referee Ahmed Dan Zaria from Kaduna State and his assistants Alfa Abdulganiyu from Jigawa and Muktar Ismail from Kano State.

The other match under investigation is the fixture in Lafia between Nasarawa United and Sunshine Stars which had Patrick Nworie from Enugu as Center Referee and Iriabor A of Ebonyi and Ubani Andy from Imo as assistants.

The LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar said later that the LMC will continue to monitor match officials to protect and ensure the integrity of the outcomes of the games. He appealed to the host clubs to refrain from acts of intimidation and other possible acts that might diminish the spirit of the game.