Nigeria's football governing body has put referees officiating in the EuroMatch-NPFL on notice, warning that poor decisions and misconduct will carry severe consequences — including dismissal and potential criminal prosecution.

The Nigeria Football Federation's Refereeing Development Committee, in a directive signed by Mohammed Ameenu, acknowledged that match officials have largely performed well across six matchdays of the 2026/27 NPFL season. However, it noted that a number of wrong calls — some attributed to errors of judgement, others to a misreading of the Laws of the Game 2026 — had become a cause for concern.

Integrity under the spotlight

The committee stated that it had become necessary to formally remind referees of their obligations to uphold fairness, equity, and the correct application of football's rules. To back that commitment, the NFF Acting General Secretary has instructed the existing Monitoring Committee to deploy personnel to every match centre across the country.

"In order to ensure that matches are prosecuted without any form of negative tendencies in refereeing decisions, the NFF Acting General Secretary has further instructed the existing Monitoring Committee to deploy personnel to each match centre and be more vigilant in ensuring that the integrity of the NPFL matches and football generally are preserved as well as protected," the directive stated.

The Monitoring Committee has been mandated to report the actions and inactions of match officials directly to the Acting General Secretary, who will then determine appropriate action.

Dismissal and prosecution on the table

The NFF left little room for ambiguity when it came to consequences. Referees and assistant referees found to be disregarding officiating guidelines or acting in ways that bring the game into disrepute face not only dismissal from the refereeing ranks but also referral to security agencies for prosecution on charges of sabotage and match fixing.

"All Referees and Assistant Referees are warned that anyone who disregards these instructive guidelines and acts in manners capable of bringing the integrity of the game into disrepute shall not only be dismissed from Refereeing but shall equally be handed over to security agencies for prosecution for sabotage and match fixing," the memo stated.

The directive concluded by calling on all referees and assistant referees active in the ongoing season to discharge their duties diligently, truthfully, and fairly — without fear or favour.