NFA officials absent as Nigerian footballer, Abubakar Lawal, buried in Sokoto
The late Abubakar Lawal, a Nigerian international footballer and former player of Vipers Sports Club, Kampala, Uganda, has been buried in Sokoto on Tuesday. Our correspondent reports that no official from the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) was present at the burial. Lawal’s body was flown into Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, around noon, accompanied […]
abubakar lawal
The late Abubakar Lawal, a Nigerian international footballer and former player of Vipers Sports Club, Kampala, Uganda, has been buried in Sokoto on Tuesday.
Our correspondent reports that no official from the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) was present at the burial.
Lawal’s body was flown into Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, around noon, accompanied by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in Uganda and officials from his former club.
Among those who received the body were Alhaji Mustapha Muhammed, Sokoto State Commissioner of Youth and Sports Development; Abdullahi Shehu, former Nigerian international footballer and other prominent individuals.
The funeral prayer was held at Sultan Abubakar III Juma’at Mosque before the burial at 4pm in Unguwan Salame, Sokoto South LGA.
Speaking after the burial, Kenneth Muwanga, Media Officer of Vipers SC, described Lawal’s death as a huge loss to both Nigeria and Uganda.
He recalled that Lawal made history by scoring the Vipers’ first-ever goal in the CAF Champions League.
Muwanga declined to comment on the cause of Lawal’s death, stating that Ugandan police were still investigating.
He also confirmed that Lawal had recently renewed his contract with Vipers SC and assured his family that they would receive all his entitlements in due course.
Sokoto State Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Muhammed, has thanked the club and the Nigerian Embassy in Uganda for ensuring Lawal’s body was brought home for a proper burial.