This archive report was first published on 1 December 2019.
On Friday, December 1, 2019, a bus carrying FC Ifeanyi Ubah to a match in Kano, Nigeria, was attacked by armed robbers in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state.
The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm, and the robbers shot at the bus, leaving the driver critically injured and several players and coaching crew members with gunshot wounds.
According to a statement from the club, the affected individuals are receiving treatment and are responding well.
The team's owner, Ifeanyi Ubah, founded the club in 2015, and they are currently mid-table in the division.
This is not the first time a Nigerian football team has been attacked by armed robbers. In 2015, five Kano Pillars players were shot while traveling to Owerri, and in 2016, Enyimba's bus was attacked while heading to a pre-season tournament.
Due to economic issues in Nigeria, football clubs have been forced to make longer and more treacherous journeys by road to reduce costs, increasing the risk of such incidents.
