Rivers United are facing a suspended fine of ₦15 million, along with a potential three-point and three-goal deduction, after the club denied Nigeria Premier Football League broadcast partners entry to their stadium during the Matchday 11 clash against Rangers International on Sunday.
The Nigeria Premier Football League confirmed the sanctions in a summary jurisdiction decision communicated to the club by NPFL Chief Operating Officer Dr. Ayo Abdulrahman. The penalties will only be activated if Rivers United commit a further breach of the league's broadcasting regulations before the end of the current season.
What sparked the punishment
According to Abdulrahman, the league received reports that Rivers United refused Murphy Ben International (MBI) — the NPFL's broadcast partner — access to the stadium for the live transmission of the home fixture, which had already been scheduled and advertised for live television coverage.
Abdulrahman described the refusal as a serious violation of established league regulations and characterised it as an unacceptable interference with the NPFL's broadcasting operations. He further warned that such conduct undermines the league's commercial agreements and damages its overall integrity and reputation.
The rules Rivers United broke
The NPFL official cited Section B, Rules 6.22 and 6.23 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, which guarantee the league's broadcast rights owner exclusive and unrestricted access to all league venues — without the need for prior notice. Under Rule 6.23, any club found in breach of this provision faces a fine of up to ₦15 million, as well as the deduction of three points and three goals from its season tally.
Despite the severity of the incident, the league acknowledged certain underlying circumstances before choosing to issue Rivers United a formal and final warning rather than enforcing the full sanctions immediately.
Warning and future consequences
The NPFL stressed that the suspension of the sanctions does not shield Rivers United from additional penalties should further violations occur under the league's Framework and Rules. The league issued a firm reminder that access for authorised broadcast partners is a regulatory obligation — not a matter left to individual clubs to approve or refuse.
No club, the NPFL reiterated, is permitted to obstruct, restrict, or deny broadcast partners entry to league venues, particularly for fixtures scheduled for live coverage. Rivers United have been put on notice: any repeat of Sunday's conduct will trigger the full weight of the available sanctions.
