Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin has won its appeal against deducted three points and three goals from alleged assaults on officials, platinumnewsng.com is reporting
The Nigeria Premier Football League had sanctioned Bendel Insurance for allegedly assaulting match officials when they hosted Kano Pillars on 11th November 2024 at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin.
The points restoration, however, came after the Nigeria Football Federation Disciplinary Committee sitting held on 12th February 2025 on the protest lodged by the team against the Nigeria Premier League’s decision.
The Barrister Obikwelu-led Committee, in its findings,, discovered that the Benin-based side did not provide adequate and effective security during the match Day 11 fixture between Bendel Insurancevs vs Kano Pillars FC in that some of their fans had access to the restricted areas.
On the allegation of assaulting officials, the committee found out that there was no evidence that the attack on match officials was grievous.
The committee, however, in its decision, affirmed paragraphs a, b, c, d, and f of the decisions of the NPFL as contained in Form 16, Summary Jurisdiction Notice to Bendel Insurance FC dated 11th November 2024.
The order in paragraph “e” deducting 3 points and 3 goals from the accrued points/goals of Bendel Insurance FC by the NPFL was, however, set aside on the ground that the assault on the match officials was not grievous as provided in Rule C11 of the Frameworks and Rules of the NPFL.
Other members of the Barr committee are Barr. Abdulrahman Abdulrahman, Vice Chairman; Barr. Mukhtar Ibrahim, Member; Barr. Wole Ademoyegun, Member; Barr. Bello Galadi, Member and Queen Otarakpo, Esq., who served as the secretary.
The points restoration ruling now means that Bendel Insurance now has three goals and three points restored, which has now taken them to 10th on the log with 31 points and +1 goal.
Bendel Insurance, who now sits 5 points from the top four, will take on Niger Tornadoes in match day 24 of the ongoing 2024/2025 season.