Abia Warriors have asked
for tomorrow’s Premier League match against El-Kanemi Warriors to be moved from Maiduguri because of security fears.
The north-eastern city is the stronghold of Islamist militant group Boko Haram and Abia are concerned following waves of attacks by insurgents in Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
In a letter to the League Management Company (LMC), which runs Nigeria’s domestic league, Abia club secretary Oliver Ndife said families and friends of players have appealed for the match to be played elsewhere.
The LMC confirmed: “It’s true that they have submitted a request for the game to be moved and it is under consideration,” LMC’s chief operating officer Salihu Abubakar told newsmen.
“The letter clearly expressed the club’s concerns over travel safety and the game at the Maiduguri Township Stadium tomorrow.
“We are studying this letter, the sensitivity of the issues raised and will make our decision known as soon as possible.”
North-east Nigeria, including Borno State where Maiduguri is the capital, has been under a state of emergency since May 2013 because of the Boko Haram conflict.
The violence has intensified in recent weeks, with more than 500 people killed in the north-east already this year.
With the season only one week old, El-Kanemi have not yet hosted a match at home this season, so the safety of road travel in and out of the city for a football match has not been tested.
Nigerian domestic league clubs typically drive to matches because of budget constraints and the total distance to Maiduguri from the Abia Warriors’ south-eastern base is more than 1300 kilometres.
All commercial flights into Maiduguri were stopped following an attack by Boko Haram on the city’s airport last year.