By Damiete Sanipe Tonte
Dolphins Football Club have a match to honour in Maiduguri on the 2nd of October against Elkanemi Warriors FC, yet news emanating from that part of the country is so terrifying that even the most intelligent fish would be scared to swim in known waters.
News made the rounds that, “ gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect members on Sunday went on rampage in Gujba community, Yobe state where they opened fire on the students of College of Agriculture, Gujba at 3am as they slept in their hostels.
They later moved to other houses, where they killed residents at will. They also blocked the Damaturu-Maiduguri road and killed travellers.
News like this ought to be a sort of concern for the LMC as Dolphins that were scheduled to have had this fixture on the 29th of September are still aground somewhere in a neighbouring state in the north-eastern part of the country waiting to honour the fixture.
After the rescheduling of the leagues games, Dolphins could not return to Port Harcourt after their 1-0 loss to Gombe United on Wednesday, as management after wide consultation agreed that rather than make the 20 hour journey back to Port Harcourt on Thursday and then another 23 hours to Maiduguri on Monday, the team should stay back.
Media Officer of the club, China Acheru said, “Our General Manager being a former player of the team certainly understands what players go through travelling across the country for games. I believe that after meeting amongst the players, GM Awenem, TA Stanley Eguma and commissioner Fred Igwe it was agreed that the team stay behind rather than let the players face the trauma of making the combined total of 63 hours road trip.”
It's high time drastic measures are taken to move games away from trouble spots especially states where the Federal Government have declared Emergency rule.
Under what frame of mind do opposing teams perform after such a tiresome journey coupled with the fear of insecurity not only from home fans as experienced all over but irate sects killing and maiming anything in front of them even the future (students) of tomorrow?
We are certain frantic calls are being made by Dolphins FC towards their security to the League Management Committee but how fast the LMC acts to decide on this fixture without disrupting the remaining fixtures is another debate.