Niger Tornadoes Football Club has been ordered by the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to pay player Anthony Michael Adoyi N1.35 million following the unlawful termination of his contract.

Sports247 reports that the decision follows an investigation by the NPFL into a complaint filed by Adoyi through his legal representative, Mr. Eddie Iseri Ogbemudia.

Adoyi alleged that Niger Tornadoes had unlawfully terminated his contract on January 15, 2025, without adhering to the provisions of the NPFL rules.

The NPFL, after reviewing the case, found in favour of the player.

The club has been instructed to pay Adoyi compensation for the remaining six months of his contract, which was due to expire in June 2025.

In a letter to the club chairman, the NPFL COO, Mr. Davidson Owumi, mandated the club forward a written undertaking to pay the sum within a specified timeframe.

“We request that you forward a written undertaking to us, pledging to pay the sum of one million, three hundred and fifty thousand naira (N1,350,000.00) only to the player as soon as possible,” the letter stated.

The NPFL warned that failure to comply with the order could result in sanctions, including a transfer ban, suspension of licenses for newly registered players, and the confiscation of club funds.

Mr. Ogbemudia, commending the NPFL’s handling of the situation. said “If you know me very well, I rarely commend people for doing their job, but this particular one I must commend the Chairman of the NPFL Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and COO Mr. Davidson Owumi for their swift intervention which was handled in a record time, which is a total departure from what we are used to,”

“In fact, the manner in which Niger Tornadoes FC terminated the player’s contract is a shame to professional football all over the world, and I expect the NPFL to implement an immediate sanction against the club so this will stand as a deterrent to other clubs,” he added.