Kennedy Boboye faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after the NPFL handed him a 17-match ban and a personal fine of ₦2 million for gross misconduct, with Bendel Insurance also picking up a separate ₦5 million in club sanctions.
The Nigeria Premier Football League has handed Bendel Insurance head coach Kennedy Boboye one of the heaviest bans seen in the Nigerian top flight this season. The experienced tactician has been suspended for 17 matches and fined ₦2 million following a gross misconduct charge stemming from Bendel Insurance’s 2-2 draw with Plateau United at Matchday 32.
The NPFL ruled that Boboye’s conduct towards a match official in that fixture violated the league’s principles of fair play and discipline. Bettors looking to follow the NPFL title race as it enters its final stretch can grab the YOHAIG Bet9ja promotion code and get started with an enhanced opening bonus.
Bendel Insurance Face Hefty Club Fines
Boboye’s personal punishment is only part of the story. The Benin Arsenals were also found to have breached NPFL rules during the same Matchday 32 encounter and have been hit with a series of institutional sanctions.
The club were fined ₦2 million for failing to provide adequate and effective security at the match, along with an additional ₦1 million for unsporting conduct deemed capable of bringing the game into disrepute. A further ₦2 million fine was issued for the club’s role in detaining match officials for 40 minutes after the final whistle — one of the more serious offences in the NPFL’s disciplinary framework. Fans who want to back their club in the next round of fixtures can use the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG welcome bonus for a boosted start.
Those club fines, taken together, total ₦5 million. Combined with Boboye’s personal fine, the fallout from a single league draw has cost the Benin club and its manager ₦7 million in financial penalties.
Home Games Behind Closed Doors
Beyond the financial impact, Bendel Insurance will also play their next three home matches behind closed doors. The punishment cuts off the club from the crowd support that typically animates games at their home ground and removes a key advantage in their remaining fixtures this season.
Detaining match officials is treated as a grave breach of league protocol, and the NPFL has been consistent in recent seasons about punishing clubs that allow or facilitate such incidents. The ruling sends a clear signal that standards of matchday conduct are non-negotiable, regardless of where a game finishes or how contested the officiating may have been.
Boboye now faces a significant absence from the dugout. A 17-match ban in the NPFL could see him miss the remainder of the current campaign and potentially spill into the start of the next season, depending on when the suspension begins to run. New Bet9ja users interested in the Bet9ja referral code can find a full breakdown of how the bonus structure works before the next round of NPFL fixtures.
FootballInNigeria.com.ng will continue to follow this story as Bendel Insurance navigate the coming weeks without their head coach.
📌 Did You Know?
- Kennedy Boboye is one of Nigeria’s more experienced active coaches, having managed several NPFL clubs over a career spanning more than a decade in the dugout.
- Bendel Insurance are nicknamed the “Benin Arsenals” — a name that reflects the club’s deep roots in Edo State and their long history as one of Nigerian domestic football’s most recognisable sides.
- The total fines levied against Bendel Insurance as a club across all charges from the Matchday 32 incident add up to ₦5 million — before including Boboye’s personal ₦2 million fine.
- Detaining match officials after a game is among the most heavily sanctioned offences in Nigerian football, with the NPFL having intensified its crackdown on post-match incidents in recent seasons.
- Plateau United, the opponents in the controversial draw, were NPFL champions in the 2016-17 season and have remained one of the league’s most competitive outfits since their title-winning campaign.
- Bendel Insurance won back-to-back NPFL titles in 1979 and 1980, establishing themselves as one of the dominant clubs of Nigerian football’s early professional era.
- Playing three consecutive home matches behind closed doors is a rare and damaging punishment in the NPFL — Bendel Insurance will have to manage that atmosphere disadvantage during what remains a crucial period of the season.
