SWAN Condemns Attack of Adamawa United by Bandits

SWAN Condemns Attack of Adamawa United by Bandits

By Adibe Emenyonu

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) yesterday, condemned in strong terms the attack on players and officials of a Nigerian Professional Football League team, Adamawa United while on their way to honour a Match day 11 fixture with MFM FC of Lagos.

The body also wants security agencies to leave no stone unturned in the effort to rescue the Team bus’ driver, Kabiru Mohammed, who was abducted by the attackers who are now asking for a staggering sum of N40million ransom.

The criminals dispossessed the players of all their belongings including cash and phones during the attack that took place on the Benin-Ore highway.

In a statement yesterday, signed by SWAN General Secretary, Jude Opara therefore, demanded that the federal government should do all that is necessary to check the embarrassing deteriorating security situation in the country by chasing these rampaging bandits out of the country.

It said the situation was even more worrisome that the federal government who at various times said that these criminals killing Nigerians were mainly foreigners from other parts of Africa seems not to be interested in wielding the big stick against them.

According to the sportswriter, “It is a shame that Nigeria has become a very dangerous place to live as citizens are freely abducted and killed on the roads and even right in their homes with no form of hindrance.

“We call on the governments at all levels to live up to their responsibilities and ensure that the primary purpose for government which is the protection of lives and property was achieved without any compromise.

“It is unfortunate that footballers and other sportsmen and women who struggle to make an honest living and by extension put Nigeria on the world map are being attacked and abducted due to the dilapidated road network they are forced to travel every week to honour game fixtures.”

Against this backdrop, the body asked the Federal Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to as a matter of urgency, liaise with airlines operating in the country to find a way of making it easy for teams especially those on long distance trips to travel on rebate tickets, adding: “we cannot as a country continue to lose our young sports men and women and indeed other citizens to mindless terrorists while the government seems not to know what to do. Time to act is now!”

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