Ifeanyi Ubah lands 10 Game Ban, 2.5m Fine for Slapping Mikel’s Brother

Oil Magnate, Chief Ifeanyi Ubah has been banned for 10 games and fined N2.5 million following his violent conduct during a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game featuring his club, Ifeanyi Ubah FC and Heartland football club of Owerri.

The billionaire who owns the self named club had encroached on the pitch during a fracas after the South-Eastern derby and slapped Heartland FC goalkeeper Ebele Obi, elder brother of Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel.

The League Management Company (LMC) had initially fined the club N500,000, with Ubah merely getting a caution for his role in the uproar, while the Heartland goalkeeper got a 6-match ban.

The emergence of a video that showed Ubah slapping Ebele Obi however forced the Shehu Dikko-led LMC to review the sanctions and drop the hammer hard on the billionaire.

In addition to the fine and stadium ban, chief Ubah has been requested to offer a letter of apology along with an undertaken of good conduct while the LMC has requested that the game’s Match commissioner Sunday Jibrin be withdrawn from games.

In a bid to forestall a recurrence of such acts in the future, the LMC has forthwith banned all self-procured security personnel in and around NPFL match venues except those sanctioned by the regulatory body.

Ubah has until 5:00pm Saturday to appeal the decision.

Watch video of the fracas below

VIDEO: Billionaire Club Owner Ifeanyi Ubah Caught Slapping Heartland Goalkeeper, Mikel’s brother Ebele Obi pic.twitter.com/fofMyqNGG0

— Olisa.Tv (@olisatv) March 31, 2016

The following tweets from the official handle of the LMC confirm the development.

Chief Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, proprietor of FC Ifeanyiubah, is suspended from all #NPFL match venues for the next 10 matches.

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016

He has now been fined N2.5m because LMC found him guilty of encroaching field of play & assaulting Heartland player Ebele Obi.

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016

The fabled billionaire is expected to offer a letter of apology & an undertaking to be a good ambassador of the #NPFL.

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016

The LMC further bans all self-procured security services other than those sanctioned by the LMC from all #NPFL match venues henceforth.

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016

4 of the 10-match #NPFL ban is suspended for a probationary period till the end of the season.

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016

LMC has reported the FC Ifeanyiubah v Heartland match commissioner Sunday Jibrin to the NFF match comm appointment committee #NPFL

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016

The LMC requests that the match commissioner be withdrawn from further #NPFL duties pending investigation into his conduct.

— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) March 31, 2016