Military troops rescue Ikorodu City players after 3SC fans ‘trapped them’ inside stadium

Ikorodu City have said military personnel intervened before the club’s players could leave the Lekan Salami stadium following their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match against Shooting Stars.

Samuel Bamisebi, Ikorodu City’s director of media and communication, narrated the ordeal in an interview with reporters.

On Sunday, the South-West Derby between Ikorodu City and Shooting Stars finished goalless in Ibadan.

In viral videos on social media, a section of the home fans was unhappy with the result and aimed missiles at some of the match officials and the away team.

Bamisebi said the angry 3SC fans damaged one of the buses that conveyed Ikorodu City’s fans from Lagos to the stadium.

He added that players and officials of Ikorodu City were “locked inside the stadium to prevent the angry fans outside from coming inside”, and the team was there “for a long time”.

“The game finished, and some irate fans were outside. They were causing violence and waiting for either the away side, the referee or the home team,” Bamisebi said.

“We already had reports of 3SC fans damaging our other buses that had our own fans inside. Some of our fans were injured.

“That led to everybody being locked inside the stadium to prevent the angry fans outside from coming inside. We were there for a long time because the fans were there for a long time too.

“It was a special adviser to the Oyo state governor who brought some military escort to the stadium. And I think they fired a few shots to disperse the crowd in and around the stadium before they could escort the team and the match officials outside the stadium.”

Ikorodu City are sixth on the NPFL table with 46 points. Shooting Stars are just two points above them in fourth position.