By Dorcas Francis Koji
The Nigeria Football Federation has indefinitely suspended assistant referee Yakubu Aliyu after ruling that his failure to correctly apply offside guidelines and the wait-and-see protocol resulted in the disallowance of a valid Doma United goal against Enyimba in their Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 3 clash.
Aliyu, a Jigawa-based official who served as Assistant Referee 1 during the fixture, has been removed from the NPFL and all other refereeing activities following the decision of the NFF Refereeing Development Committee.
In a letter signed by Mohammed Ameenu, Secretary of the NFF Refereeing Development Committee and Head of its Refereeing Development Unit, Aliyu was informed that the incident was considered serious enough to warrant an indefinite suspension.
The committee stated that the official had “failed to observe offside situational guidelines and the wait-and-see protocol,” leading to the cancellation of what it described as a “validly scored goal.”
According to the committee, the decision not only affected the scoreline and outcome of the match but also brought “Refereeing and the game in Nigeria into disrepute.”
The letter further confirmed that Aliyu had been delisted from the 2026/27 NPFL list of referees and assistant referees.
The disciplinary action follows Doma United’s 2-0 victory over Enyimba, a result that preserved the newly promoted side’s perfect start to the new NPFL season.
Sadiq Rilwan opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark before Yusuf Fantami added the second with 20 minutes remaining to seal Doma United’s second consecutive home victory.
The Savannah Tigers have now collected nine points from their opening three matches, while Enyimba suffered their second defeat of the campaign after also losing to Niger Tornadoes on the opening day.
Aliyu’s suspension represents another significant disciplinary measure against an NPFL match official and highlights the NFF Refereeing Development Committee’s determination to enforce established officiating standards.
The decision is also expected to renew attention on the importance of correct offside interpretation and the wait-and-see principle among match officials as the 2026/27 NPFL season progresses.
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