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Gabriel Adigwe 'psychologically damaged' after assault

Referee 'psychologically damaged' after assault

Posted: 2010-03-22 12:37

Referee Gabriel Adigwe and his assistants were violently assaulted by fans of Niger Tornadoes after their 0-0 home draw against Bayelsa United and the referee has told KickOffNigeria.com that he fears he has been 'psychologically damaged'.

According to Adigwe, the fans invaded the pitch after the game and set upon the officials, with no protection from the police.

"Immediately after the final whistle, fans rushed into the field and attacked us. There were policemen around but they were not effective. I was viciously punched a number of times on the back of my neck, close to my ears.

"I almost collapsed, but I was afraid that if I fell down, they would trample me. My hands are swollen from trying to cover my face from the blows.

"The AR2 was also punched twice in his back and stomach," Adigwe said.

When the police finally decided to intervene, it was only a feeble effort.

"After the police fired tear gas, they fled and started throwing stones at us. It met one person on the head. He was seriously bleeding; the blood gushed out of his head and poured on my shirt."

The officials finally found their way into the dressing room, but had to wait there for nearly another hour before they could leave the stadium.

"We waited for about 40 minutes in the dressing room before we left the stadium.

"The fans said they have to beat me up to teach me a lesson because I don't help them in their home games. They say that every time I come to their home games, they always play draw. I am seriously damaged psychologically and I don't know if I can do any match after this without the fear of being beaten again."

Over the past two seasons, Adigwe has handled three other Tornadoes home games. They drew 0-0 against Zamfara United and beat Warri Wolves 2-0 last season.

This season, they have drawn at home against Ranchers Bees with Adigwe at the centre before this weekend's result against Bayelsa United.

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nelson: 2010-03-22 13:30

i can't call those people football fans rather call them worst name than that.



nelson4u.

eze: 2010-03-22 14:16

many of the so called kickoff forumite will not make comment now, if its related to age you will see all of them coming to make useless comment...Refrees must be protected even if they make mistake i suggest that the nff should immediately investigate the matter and saction niger tornadoes club accordingly to serve as a lesson to others.

eze: 2010-03-22 14:26

Every country Knows how to respect their football hero except Nigeria.
useless old men like @Billion will keep insulting kanu Nwakwo who has served this ungreatful nation well yet peple like him will rain abuses on him.
Go to France,they worship Zidane and all their stars same in Uk with Beckham even in Ivory coast but in Nigeria the story is different.
Kanu is 50,he is 51 no some say he is 42.....nobody at the age that age can play football..Kanu finished secondary school in 1991 at owerri then if you do the calculation you will know he is not as old as useless men like @billion will make us to believe and still scoring goals and playing better.
Old players retires after a major competion like WC Kanu will do same but for now he remain the captain of SE and nobody can change that fact.

Clovis: 2010-03-22 17:15

This is an outrage to all loving Football Fans. This type of mentality has no place in any sports. The ref.’s are doing their job, believe as a former player, there are some ref’s I didn’t care for. When it all comes to it you are playing against another team not the referees.
NFF protect our Referees like Mr. Gabriel Adigwe. Niger Tornadoes must lose some points and a heavy fine for not protecting the Ref’s.

Nero: 2010-03-22 17:32

@Rastaman if you are younger than Kaun, does that makes him older than his age now? If you really knew kaun from owerri, then you will not be among those saying he is over age. Finish his seconding school in 1991 from Holy Ghost College Ow.

eze: 2010-03-22 17:57

@rastaman...i am not surprized at your comment, maybe as a rastaman that you are you fed ur self with your normal food before making the comment.
ur likes should know that Kanu is our hero and deserve our respect.
He will retire after WC not now.

ade: 2010-03-22 18:02

This is a big shame to us all! we wonder why our leaders are fools, when some average nigerians are fools themselves.just because we dont agree with the officiating, that doesnt give the right to assault and abuse the referee. i wonder if the home team will take the responsibility and resolve this "shame" because its the home team's negligence for not providing adequate security for the officials.

Madu: 2010-03-22 18:06

@eze i am 100%percent along side with u(check d article about d warri wolves and eyimba)@rastaman how many parcel of weed did u take b4 posting ur coment? Nigeria 4 success

ade: 2010-03-22 18:19

i wonder what sort of country ths ngeria is, a country where stars that did well and still doing well for the country are verbally condenmed.
we must give kudos to england for even thinking of bringing beckam to the world cup even though hes injured, that cant be said of nigeria, who cares about thier age.we need to wake up!!!

Billion: 2010-03-22 18:25

@Di Maria, the N2million proposal could make things worse for home fans cos' any hungry referee could deliberately decide to do the wrong thing - get manhandled and pocket 2milla.

@eze, I know I'm not useless at least to myself, to those around me and for my generation. Thanks for ur contribution anyway.

emeka: 2010-03-22 19:06

@ Billion, No, you are not useless and can never be. But dont pontificate about things that you dont know. This is the first time I am responding to your post on kickoff, and it is because of your pontification about footballers ages. I have read u severally in the past concerning Obafemi's age and of recent on Kanu. I do not know about Obafemi's age but having seen a picture he took in 2000 in Punch newspapers sometime ago, I believe he is relatively young. However, I know Kalu too well. Even his elder brother, Goddy who once played for Bendel United is not as old as the age you ascribe to N****wo (Kanu). I believe Yobo is young too because I remember my Ogoni coursemate in the university telling me that when he was in SS3, Yobo was in JSI. And then for Enyeama, he was doing Remedial (Prelims) in University of Uyo when I was in final year. He was very young when he entered the university. He was not a dull student before you say now that he may have entered the university as an old man.Mind you,his father was also the university team's coach-. The guy was in Tunde Disu's first Nigeria '99 under 20 team but was decameped becaused he was young and a bit frail. These guy (minus Obagoal and Yobo) are the people I pesonally know too well and can tell you that they are still within the age bracket they are playing with. Their only sin is that they started playing at a very young age. If Owen or Walcott were Nigerians, you would say they are older than the ages they claimed, hence they are always injured. Again, why are your likes quick to say that players like Seedorf are playing with their real ages and argue that Kanu (who has been playing football for 18 years) is playing with false age but will keep quiet at their European mates at Ajax who are no longer playing active football like Burgade,Kluvert and Ritzeger, among others.

It is true that many of our players reduce there ages as they grow older but it is also true that many of them are as young as they claim. If Henry Nwosu could play for Green Eagles at 17 from St Finnbar's College in Lagos, who says our 16-17 year olds cant play in teams?

You will earn more respect if you restrict your ****ysis on what you know well.

Madu: 2010-03-22 19:09

@zero(billion) u need a psychiatric doctor. How can a human being let alone a Nigerian calling Kanu N****wo aka Daddy Pappilo( nigeria greatest legend and one of Africas finest). Billion am so ashamed of u. What kind of an idiot are u? Do u weed? Do u even have frnd(cos no normal human can b ur frnd). @Eze,Nero and Ade. Thank u people

Madu: 2010-03-22 19:19

@emeka thankz 4 d ****ysis. I appreciate. @zero did u read emekas comment? Once more thank u eze,nero,ade,emeka and every true and loving nigeria. Nigeria 4 success

Polly: 2010-03-22 20:30

@emeka, I support you. Even though I am one of people who believe that this age-cheating menace should be eradicated from our football, we should avoid making personal statements that we can not substantiate. But this age debate is a diversion from the main subject here.

back to the main issue here, we have witnessed numerous cases of this in the past and I think a referee even lost his life in Benin or somewhere, I am not very sure now. The problem lies squarely with our inept administrators. There should be enough punitive measures meted out against these erring clubs, not just banishment to another state as is the norm now. They should think of points deduction and even outright demotion to the next lower division. A drastic problem needs a drastic solution. IF ONLY THEY WILL THINK FOR ONCE.

Prof.: 2010-03-23 04:16

Nigerian Tribune, 23/3/2010

Kanu ’ll play until he’s 51 in two years – Grant
| Print | E-mail
Written by Dimeji Ojo, with Agency Reports

PORTSMOUTH boss, Avram Grant, has said that Super Eagles skipper, N****wo Kanu would continue to play football until he attains the age of 51.

Grant stated this after Kanu inspired Portsmouth to victory over Hull City by scoring the third goal to seal a 3-2 win last Saturday at the Fratton Park.

He hailed the Nigerian international insisting that he would be of help for the Super Eagles at the World Cup in South Africa.

"I think he will play until he is 51. That is in two years," Grant joked about Kanu's age. He said: "You see Kanu, he is not running as fast as before and he is not in the physical condition of before.

"He's not young any more. But he is clever.

"His movement for his goal was unbelievable, he was at the right place at the right time.

The Atlanta ’96 Olympics gold medallist came off the bench on Saturday to swoop for the winner.

With the World Cup just three months away, the coach of the Premier League side says Kanu can play for two more years.

The goal is Kanu's second for the season in the English Premier League for Portsmouth. He was part of Nigeria's team to the last Africa Nations Cup held in Angola where he played limited role.

He is however, expected to lead the Super Eagles to the World Cup in South Africa despite growing criticism by a section of Nigerian fans who are calling for his exclusion from the team.

DOG!tto : 2010-03-23 04:36

WHAT a shame! the decadence of the nigerian society does not only reflect in the jos crisis but also in our footballin system...

Chimpo: 2010-03-25 11:30

@Emeka,you have spoken well.I don't know what all these fuss about Kanu's age is all about.The next day after Portsmouth won the FA cup and Harry Redknap came on paper to say he wasn't going to offer Kanu 2yrs contract bcos Kanu is 47,I was holding a copy of The Sun newspaper and met his younger brother Ogbona Kanu on the bus53 on Old Kent road,bcos we have met couple of times we chatted and I showed him the story abt his brother's age in the paper.I saw internal tears in his eyes.He calld his brother straight on the fone and they spoke in Igbo,though I couldn't understand all their conversations,at the end he told me some deep personal things abt Kanu that I can't ever share on this forum.He dropped at Deptford Bridge and these words still remain in my head till today. Again, Efe&Sam Sodje livs around my house in Abbeywood,I met Sam oneday at the BP filling station in Abbeywood,we spoke abt football and Kanu and to my suprise the exact thing Ogbona Kanu told me abt his elder brother was what Sam Sodje said to me abt N****wo Kanu.
In conclusion,Kanu is not lying abt his age.I wish I could talk more but it's none of my business.I can only pray to God to give me a fulfilled life like the one he gave N****wo Kanu.It's a shame if fellow Nigerians join in bringing down a man who has served his nation and saved the lives of thousands of Nigerian kids.