By Ben Ogbemudia
Hours after the Remo Stars versus Bendel Insurance fracas at the Remo stadium at Ikenne, the Edo State government has petitioned the Nigeria Football Federation and the Nigerian National League ruling body, to have its team, Bendel Insurance withdrew from the league.

This petition was issued during a press briefing, held by the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Philip Shaibu in the state capital on Monday 7th, June 2021.

The deputy governor in ten minutes, twenty-three seconds briefing threatened that the Edo State government, owners of the Benin Arsenal will withdraw its team, Bendel Insurance from the ongoing Nigeria National League if the lives of their players will not be guaranteed by Nigeria Football Federation and the Nigerian National League, NNL.

“I want to welcome our players and officials back from Ogun state, particularly Remo, from the unfortunate incident that happened. We have looked at it from the various reports and we express serious disappointment over the incident that occurred between Remo Stars and Insurance, in Ikenne.”

The sports-loving deputy governor also asked for the ban of Remo FC from participating in any NFF organized competition for five years.

“Our players were attacked by the fans and players of Remo FC and for us as a club and as a government – Bendel Insurance belongs to the Edo state government; we demand from NFF and the league management Committee to first ban Remo Stars from further participating in any organized tournament by the NFF because, if fans and players of a club will connive to beat up fellow players, for me, it’s barbaric and we take exception to that and we are requesting that NFF as a matter of real sanction, that club should be banned for a period of not less than five years.”

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“Also, we are requesting that NFF and the league management Committee must as a matter of fact give a verified commitment to the safety of Bendel Insurance players in the remaining matches; failure to do that, Bendel Insurance will withdraw from the Nigerian National League, forthwith”

“We are as a state government has agreed that the management of Bendel Insurance FC will check the level of damage that the match has caused us and we are instituting legal suit against Remo FC and the owner of the club because we are aware that Mr. Soname, the owner of bet9ja and the owner of Remo FC was physically present and he was even inside the main bowl when all these activities were happening.”

“We have videos of how they were instructing their fans to go and intimidate players and officials of Bendel Insurance and that the match must be won at all cost. For that, our legal team is already working with the team to check the level of damages and we are going to institute a legal suit against Remo FC.”

“And we observed already that metal objects were used against some of our players and officials, we are also going to institute a medical-legal suit for life, for this player and their treatment for life against Remo FC.”

“While we are taking this decision, Bendel Insurance FC just recently played an away match against Holy Arrows which was supposed moved from 8th to 9th of May because of security issues. This is the second one, we would not wait to the third one.”

Additionally, the state also petitioned the football federation to have the center Referee, Igwe Godwin banned for his unprofessional conduct in the course of the game.

“We are also demanding that Referee Igwe Godwin should be banned for life from officiating any local game in the country, to serve as deterent to other Referees that will continually be destroying the image of football in the country.”

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“For the players, all of you are heroes and for standing your ground against been intimidated by Remo FC who wanted to win at all cost, all of you will be rewarded”

Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu also said that its youth team currently taking part in a tournament in Ikenne will be withdrawn, except their matches are scheduled for another center aside from the Ikenne stadium.

“Conclusively, we have withdrawn our Bendel Insurance Feeder team from the ongoing competition taking place in Ikenne as a result of this, except if the organizers will reschedule our games from the venue .”