By Victor Kanayo
A top Nigerian club featuring in the country’s Premier Football League suffered an attack on the way to honour a match against their opponent in the ongoing season.
Known as Sunshine Stars, Heritage Times HT gathered the club had its team bus broken in the course of the attack on Thursday evening while players and officials were injured by blood thirsty gunmen.
This was after the team won their match against their opponent – Shooting Stars in Akure, Ondo State capital, South-South region of Nigeria.
Both sides are based in the same region.
Confirming the development, Sunshine Stars Media department Friday morning said the incident occurred along the popular Ore-Benin highway.
The Club’s Head of Media, Michael Akintunde, in a statement said they were on their way to honour an elite league game against another club Insurance of Benin on Saturday when the gunmen launch attack.
He said, “It saddens our hearts to inform Nigerians, especially football lovers that our team was attacked few minutes ago along Ore-Benin Expressway.
“The horrible incident happened to the team as they were on their way to honor an Elite League tie , against Insurance of Benin , scheduled for this weekend.
“Our ball boy was shot in the horrible attack. Also, our team manager and other club officials including players are seriously injured.”
He said it took the intervention of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) officers, who took the injured persons to a nearby hospital.
The incident happened few days after another Nigerian club known as One Rocket had similar experience.
In recent years, gunmen have gone on rampage especially along the road with their victims being kidnapped, killed or injured despite the presence of security operatives.
