The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that unidentified gunmen killed a SuperSports crew member along with a police officer in Anambra State.
The NFF reported that the victims were en route to cover the Super Eagles’ 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Libya when they were attacked.
According to the NFF, the tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, during an ambush by kidnappers on the Ihiala-Orlu Road in Anambra State. The football federation has expressed its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
“Information gathered on the incident revealed that the bandits opened fire on the bus in which the SuperSport operatives were travelling, with Staff and security personnel on board, and the attack immediately resulted in the deaths of a cameraman, a police officer, and the bus driver,” the NFF said on Saturday.
The NFF president Ibrahim Gusau said though Nigeria defeated Libya 1-0 in the Friday encounter in the Southern city of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, the incident has cast a shadow on the Super Eagles’ victory.
“Yes, we won the match against Libya and took three points, but the fact that three lives were lost created a situation in which we were unable to celebrate properly, and it hurts seriously to even think back at the unfortunate incident,” Gusau said.