The Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria Task Force, Harrison Jalla, says the body will write a “strongly worded” letter to the Chief of Army Staff following the alleged dehumanisation of former Super Eagles striker and Brazil 2014 World Cup star, Uche Nwofor, by soldiers at Artillery Barracks 302 in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Narrating his ordeal in a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday, Nwofor, 32, who is currently unattached, said he was at the barracks having a nice time with his friends when he was accosted by the uniformed men, who sat him on the floor and started cutting off his dreadlocks.
“[b]What did I do? I am not a yahoo boy, not a tout inside barracks artillery 302. Onitsha sat me on the floor and started barbing my hair after giving information about me. No offence, sir, I am an ex-Super Eagles player. I have met you with the same friends as Ozor, an ex-Enyimb FC player. No violence, just relaxing and drinking as I see army barracks as a safe place to be,” Nwofor stated.
While reacting, Jalla said he would ensure that the issue was investigated thoroughly and the perpetrators brought to book if indeed they had subjected the player to such humiliation.
He said, “This is incredible and condemnable. As a retired football player who served the country in various capacities, Nwofor shouldn’t be treated so shabbily. He has the right to do whatever he likes with his looks. What gives the soldiers the impression that his dreadlocks are not natural?
“We are taking this up because this kind of thing shouldn’t be allowed to happen. That was how the police killed Dele Udoh in cold blood. We would write a strong-worded letter to the Chief of Army Staff, demanding that a thorough investigation of the incident be carried out.”
Meanwhile, the post has generated a litany of reactions with footballers and others condemning the soldiers act.
Former Eagles striker Victor Obinna Nsofor wrote, “I’m so sorry, bro, this is unacceptable.”
“So sorry, man, mumu set of people,” stated Elvis Chisom Chikatara, formerly of Heartland.
tz_jtodins stated, “Nawaooo! Dem leave terrorist dey terrorise Nigerian international players. Someone stood with the flag at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It’s almost the same as attacking a fellow soldier. They both served the country.”
Also, Paulillah wrote, “Report them to the Army Headquarters in Abuja. Two, file a case at the state high court. Three, report them to the National Human Rights Commission.
Dapope247 stated, “Please, let’s keep tagging all the bloggers and making this go viral… This young man served Nigeria only for the Nigerian Army to humiliate him. Come on. Uche Nwofor is a complete gentleman; he is law-abiding, and that is why he was able to play for the Super Eagles. Please, let’s fish out the people behind this humiliation.”
Nwofor represented Nigeria at U-20 level, where he netted four goals in five games to finish as the as the highest goal scorer of the 2011 African U-20 AFCON as Nigeria won a sixth continental title in Johannesburg.
He was an instant hit at the U-20 World Cup in Colombia, coming off the bench to score two goals in six minutes against Croatia. Nigeria was subsequently knocked out by France in the quarter-finals in a 3–2 thriller.
He was capped nine times at the senior level, scoring three times from 2010 to 2014.
