Nigeria Premier League champions Kano Pillars were on Thursday, March 5 attacked by armed robbers along Abaji-Lokoja road.
Five players were left seriously injured are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja.
The incident occurred at about 1.15pm as players and officials of the Kano based club were traveling to Owerri for their opening league game against Heartland on Saturday, March 7.
According to the club's spokesperson Idris Malikawa, the five players injured during the attack are Gambo Muhammed, Eneji Otekpa, Adamu Murtala, Reuben Ogbonnaya and Ubong Ekpai.
“We were attacked by armed robbers and five of our players were injured by the robbers. The players are currently being treated and are responding very well to treatment," Malikawa told .
Due to this unfortunate incident, the League Management Company [LMC] has postponed the opening game of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) between champions Kano Pillars and Heartland.
“The League Management Company has expressed shock at the news of the armed robbery attack on the Kano Pillars Football Club contingent along the Abuja-Lokoja Road and consequently ordered an indefinite postponement of their Match Day 1 fixture in Owerri against Heartland FC,” a statement from the league body said.
The other nine matches of Match Day 1 will proceed as scheduled.