NPFL Imposes #6 Million Naira Fine on Kwara United for Live Broadcast Misconduct
Kwara United has been penalized with a #6 million fine for providing false information that resulted in a fixture adjustment, causing disruption to the live television broadcast schedule of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 31.
The Ilorin-based club faced a two-count summary jurisdiction, charged with breaching Rule C1.1 and B6.23, leading to the substantial fine.
The controversy arose when Kwara United requested a fixture change for their Matchday 31 encounter against Akwa United, moving it from Saturday, April 20, to Sunday, April 21.
They cited a letter claiming that the state government had planned an event at the stadium. However, it was later revealed that no such activity by the state government occurred at the stadium, which instead hosted a lower league fixture.
The first charge, outlined in Form 16 of the Summary Jurisdiction notice dated April 22, accused Kwara United of breaching Rule C1.1 by submitting a late application for fixture rearrangement, based on false information and falsified documents, potentially tarnishing the game’s reputation.
The second charge, under Rule B6.23, highlighted Kwara United’s disruption of a live broadcast by making false claims about their home ground’s unavailability.
As a result, Kwara United faces a fine of #1 million for misconduct and #5 million for disrupting the live broadcast.
The club has 48 hours from the notice date to accept the decision or opt to appear before a disciplinary panel as per Rule C26.
Any decision must be communicated in writing to the NPFL, with the fine payment due within seven working days if the decision remains uncontested.