Court orders Nasarawa United to compensate late Martins’ family

Five years after the death of former Nasarawa United player, Chineme Martins, during a Nigeria Professional Football League game in 2020, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria has nailed the club, the league, and the Nigeria Football Federation over the player’s demise, The PUNCH reports.

Martins died at the age of 23 after collapsing during an NPFL game between the club and Katsina United on March 8, 2020, at the Lafia Township Stadium.

In October 2020, FIFPRO announced that it was helping the late player’s family to pursue the claim of negligence.

Nasarawa United, the league body, the NFF and the match commissioner, Christian Mbah, were blamed for negligence in the player’s death.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria ruled that Nasarawa United breached their duty of care towards Martins and that the club must compensate his family.

The awarded compensation was, however, not stated.

The court stated that the league, the NFF and the match commissioner of the day also had a duty of care to ensure that the club complied with the relevant regulations and that they breached them.

According to FIFPRO, the court’s ruling stated it was “reprehensible” that Martins was allowed to play without complete medical tests – an echocardiogram was never conducted on Martins at the start of each of his three seasons with the club – and without the provision of adequate medical facilities at the Lafia Township Stadium.

Martins’ brother, Michael Chineme hopes for better treatment of Nigerian players after the ruling.

“The court has spoken and ruled that Nasarawa United, the league management company and the NFF did not take into consideration my brother’s safety, health and welfare, which contributed to his death.

“I hope that the appropriate medical provisions are put in place for Nigeria’s footballers going forward so that no family has to endure the pain we have suffered.”

The PUNCH reached out to the club and league body about the ruling, but they had yet to send an official response or statement at the time of filing this report.