Breach of Confidentiality: NLO queries Referee, Match Commissioner

The Centre Referee, Adanlawo Ayomide, and Match Commissioner, Mohammed Lateef, who were assigned to the one-leg playoff between Yewa Football Academy and FC Ebedei in Akure, may face disciplinary actions from the Nationwide League One (NLO) after being issued a query for breaching confidentiality and unauthorised disclosure of the official match report.

In an official communication from the NLO media department, the Secretariat received a formal statement from Mr. Mojeed Ibrahim of Yewa Football Academy, claiming to have access to the Official Match Report for the fixture in Akure.

As officials appointed by the NLO, they were fully aware that the Match Report is a confidential document, meant solely for the Secretariat to ensure impartial adjudication of the match. So, unauthorised sharing of the report with a club official was a serious violation of the NLO Code of Conduct and sports ethics.

Therefore, the Secretariat requests a detailed written explanation from each of the match officials regarding:

Breach of
Protocol: How did a confidential document under their custody end up with Mr. Mojeed Ibrahim.

Allegation of Collusion: Given Mr. Ibrahim’s claim of having access to the match reports, why should this not be seen as conspiracy or illicit collusion to undermine the league’s integrity, the NLO asked.

The NLO enforces a zero-tolerance policy on match integrity breaches. Failure to respond satisfactorily within 24 hours will lead to an immediate and indefinite suspension from all NLO activities, pending a full investigation by the NFF Referees Committee and NLO Disciplinary Committee.

The league’s credibility depends on the professionalism and discretion of its officials. This breach is being taken very seriously.