Nigerian referee killed in car accident buried in Abia

Dr Kingsley Nnaemeka Eneogwe, a former match official under the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), has been buried in his hometown in Abia State following his death in a road accident earlier in February.

Eneogwu emerged as a casualty in a fatal accident along Abuja-Kogi Enugu road on February 2, 2023, after having served as an assistant referee in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match in Kaduna, between Nasarawa United and Plateau United.

Until his death, the member of the Abia State council, a wing under the NRA, was also a medical doctor.

On Thursday, friends and colleagues joined the family at Unuagwu village, in the Osisioma Ngwa local government area of Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria, to pay their last respects to the late referee.

The late match official who was supposed to celebrate his birthday on February 15, was buried just a day after.

Eneogwu obtained his referee licence in 2012 before rising through the ranks to serve as one of the officials in NPFL, four years ago.

While the news of his death circulated, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took to his Instagram page, to call the incident a tragic one.

A statement jointly signed by Isaac Danladi, the chairman of the Club Owners, a body of football administrators recognized by the NFF, described the medical doctor's death as shocking and unfortunate, as it had cut short his promising career as a referee.

The NRA broke the news of his death on February 3, a day after the unfortunate incident occurred on the Abuja-Kogi Enugu road.