Insurance Reject N400,000 Fine Against Remo Stars,Insist On NNL Banishment Of The Club

The management of the Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin has rejected the N400,000 fine imposed on Remo Stars FC by the Nigeria National League NNL ,insisting on outright banishment of the club from its Ikenne-Remo based for remaining home matches in the second tier league

The Disciplinary Committee of the league organizers had imposed the fine at its sitting last Thursday, against Remo Stars for violation of the COVID-19 protocols and physical assault of the Insurance's players and officials by fans who invaded the pitch during a league match played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State 

But the management of Insurance in a statement made available to Edu-Biznews by its Media Officer, Kehinde Osagiede, expressed the team's dismay over the punishment, saying it has lost confidence in the the organizers of the league 

The club described the punishment as unacceptable and insult on the Edo State Government, alleging that the committee had been bought over by Remo Stars

Insurance vowed to seek legal redress,  by appealing against the verdict before the Appeal Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), threatening not to play any match , until justice is done 

The statement reads in parts

"We received the Nigeria National Football (NNL) Disciplinary Committee's judgement on the case of assault,security breaches and Field encroachment established against Remo Stars with dismay, disbelief and total loss of confidence in the country's football regulatory body".

"We see the judgement as biased and it is nothing but instrument for encouraging violence in Nigeria football,and therefore unacceptable."

"The only substance derivable therefrom is the untouchable status invested in Remo Stars by NNL."

 "Directing Remo Stars to pay N400,000 to Bendel Insurance FC as damages is a big insult on us and the Government of Edo state."

"Banishment of Remo Stars with no option from their stadium over the encroachment and assault on our players and officials of Bendel Insurance FC is supposed to be number one punishment and failure of the disciplinary committee to  mention that in their list of punishment amounts to suffocation of justice. This is so because no other offenders in similar cases were warned or asked to sign any undertaking in the recent past"

Without any apology, the judgment is unbelievably irresponsible and capable of promoting violence and killing enthusiasm of football followers"

"Looking at the similar case but lesser offences and injuries involving Holly Arrow in which judgment banished Holly Arrow to Enugu  and that of Kano Pillars in which the NPFL team was fined N7.5M,it is easy to arrive at the conclusion that the  judgement by the NNL disciplinary committee on Remo Stars v Bendel Insurance FC is bought by Remo Stars"

"We believe that the panel did not look at the rules book(Act.16:1) particularly before arriving at their conclusion".

"Insurance will therefore explore other mechanism for redress by way of appealing to the Nigeria Football Federation (NNF) Appeal Committee.

Finally, we will not play any match until we get justice."