Nigerian Football Club Found Negligent in Player’s Death
A Nigerian football club has been found negligent in connection with the tragic death of one of its players, Chineme Martins, who passed away during a match five years ago.
Martins tragically fell ill and passed away while playing for Nasarawa United in a league game in March 2020. He was only 25 years old at the time.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ruled that the match commissioner, the Nigerian Football League, and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) were also negligent in Martins’ death, as reported by the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) on Thursday.
According to FIFPRO, the court emphasized that the league, NFF, and the match commissioner had a duty of care to ensure that the club followed relevant regulations, which they failed to uphold.
Despite the ruling, there has been no official response from Nasarawa United or the NFF regarding the court’s decision.
FIFPRO highlighted the court’s criticism of allowing Martins to participate in the match without undergoing proper medical evaluations and the absence of adequate medical facilities at Lafia Township Stadium where the incident occurred.
“The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ruled that Nasarawa United failed in their duty of care towards Martins and has ordered the club to compensate his family,” FIFPRO stated.
An official report released on the NFF’s website that same year revealed that Nasarawa United lacked a medical doctor and a physiotherapist on-site during the match. Additionally, there was no operational ambulance available at the stadium when Martins fell ill.
