THE city of Maiduguri Sunday evening witnessed the return of top-flight action of the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) with Week 11 tie between El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club and Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan at the El-Kanemi Stadium in the Borno state capital.
The League Management Company had banished Warriors from their home ground in 2014 due to activities of Boko Haram which rendered the city unsafe for social activities and forced the team to adopt Karkanda Stadium, Kastina as temporary home ground.
General Coordinator of Shooting Stars, Abubakar Abubakar, said Maiduguri was peaceful throughout their stay and believe the city is free from insurgency and peaceful enough to host NPFL matches with teams having nothing to fear about as adequate security for lives and properties has been put in
place.
Dan Fulani, as he is fondly called commended Borno State Government, Borno State Football Association and the Alhaji Zanna Mohammed Kakaje, led Elkanemi board for the hospitality
shown to his team.
According to him, Elkanemi management air-lifted his team aboard Medview Airline, from Abuja to Maiduguri, Maiduguri back to Abuja, and also provided a 30 seater coastal bus for the players, 406 car and fueled it throughout their stay in the city.
“I want to state emphatically that Maiduguri is safe as inhabitants are going about their normal life. The town is safe for league matches as away teams have nothing to fear about."
"I want to use this medium to appreciate the Borno State Government, Borno State Football Association and Elkanemi Warriors management for putting in place adequate security at the Stadium, but sincerely I was surprise with the impressive turn out of fans at the Stadium."
"I must also commend Elkanemi management for air-lifting us to Maiduguri from Abuja to and fro. We moved by road from Ibadan to Abuja and connected Medview flight to Maiduguri and
back to Abuja. They also made provision for 30 seater coastal bus and 406 car in Maiduguri and fueled it. I hope and pray we should be able to pay them back in kind when they come to Ibadan for the return leg," said the former Enyimba International FC North Coordinator.
However, Zanna Kakaje, appreciate the League Management Company for returning league matches back to Maiduguri.
