‘Send him to prison’- Nigerians demand justice from NFF after ref celebrated ‘robbing' Sporting Lagos on Facebook

Controversy continues to swirl around Nigerian referee Qudus Adeyemi Adebayo following his highly disputed officiating in the recent Nigeria National League (NNL) derby between Sporting Lagos and Gateway United. 

The match, which ended 2-1 in Gateway’s favour, has led to outrage after Adebayo not only made several questionable decisions but also celebrated the result on social media.

Adebayo’s performance came under intense scrutiny after he awarded a dubious penalty to Gateway United to level the match at 1-1, disallowed two legitimate goals from Sporting Lagos’ striker Seun, and handed him two yellow cards - one for scoring a goal before the whistle and another that led to a red card. The decisions left fans and football stakeholders stunned.

This public celebration of a match widely regarded as “robbery” has ignited fury among Nigerian football fans, many of whom have called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to take decisive action. 

Social media has been flooded with demands for justice, with some users even calling for criminal prosecution. 

One incensed supporter wrote, “The referee's bias was too clear. We can’t continue like this.” Another took aim at the NFF and NNL organisers, stating, “Dear @thenff and NNL organisers, at some point, we’re going to have to decide if we truly want to move football forward in this country or if it’s business as usual with fraudulent refereeing going on at #NNL25.” 

The outrage grew more intense, with one user demanding, “That guy should be sent to Ayesso prison straight. What!” Others called for severe consequences, with an expert insisting, “There has to be a punishment stiffer than suspension or ban that can serve as a real deterrent.” 

Another commenter sarcastically remarked, “He came, thank God now… successful game means successful business! He has delivered his polling unit.”

The incident has once again put the spotlight on refereeing standards in Nigerian football and raised urgent questions about integrity and accountability. 

The NFF is now under pressure to respond swiftly and restore faith in the game.