Players and officials of eight-time Nigerian champions, Enyimba International Football club were involved in a robbery incident.
The incident occurred on Thursday at around 8:30 pm local time in Okigwe (approximately 100 kilometres from Aba, the base of Enyimba).
The robbers were dressed like soldiers and smashed the windscreen of the bus which the Enyimba contingent was travelling in.
The team was returning to Aba from Gombe where they had played against Adamawa United in a match day 25 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game.
Two Enyimba players, Theophilus Afelokhai and Cyril Olisema (who scored in Gombe) were injured as a result of the incident as confirmed by the club’s spokesman, Bariza Samuel.
“The incident happened in Okigwe as we made our way to Umuahia,” Bariza told 360Sports (www.360sports.co.za).
“The robbers were dressed like soldiers and had put up barricades on the road.
“We managed to escape but not before seeing our windscreen smashed and two of our players injured.
“The team got to Aba at around 10 pm without any further incidents,” he said.
Enyimba is Nigeria’s most successful football club
The Aba club is the only Nigerian club to have won the CAF Champions League title; a feat they achieved twice in 2003 and 2004.
Eight league championships and four Cup titles also sit in their trophy cabinet.
They are currently in fifth place on the NPFL standings with 36 points from 20 matches this season but have played five games less than the leaders, Plateau United who have garnered 49 points from 25 matches.
