Suspense as UNIJOS Male Basketball Team Protests Accreditation Snub

Protesting Unijos Male Basketball Team

Tension gripped the basketball court at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) on Sunday as the institution’s male basketball team staged a sit-in protest ahead of their opening game against Benue State University (BSU) in the ongoing 27th Nigerian University Games (NUGA).

The players occupied the court, refusing to tip off in protest over the exclusion of several teammates from the official accreditation list. Only five out of the 15 registered players were cleared to play. “We cannot play with just five players,” head coach Kamsen Mordicai told Campulse News, visibly frustrated by the situation.

President of the Students’ Union Government, Jane Pwajok, explained that the accreditation delay did not originate from the university but from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). She, however, faulted the university for not officially confirming the status of the affected students to the NUGA organising committee.

“Efforts were made to resolve the issue, but we were told there were network problems,” she said. “Basketball is an intimidation game — the players were already mentally unsettled while their opponents were relaxed.”

A member of the UNIJOS technical crew, Savvy Onoja, criticised the university’s poor welfare arrangements, revealing that some players had no accommodation despite training for over three months. “They just want to play the game, but they are being frustrated,” he lamented.

Following intervention from university officials and the NUGA organising committee, a compromise was reached, allowing one additional player to join the lineup.

Team captain Bakle confirmed the development, saying, “They agreed to add one more player. We all have our school documents to prove we are bona fide students. I do not understand why this accreditation issue came up.”

When Campulse News sought clarification from the Chairman of the NUGA Technical Committee, A.A. Musa Yakasai, he declined to comment, saying, “I cannot talk to any pressman.”

As of the time of filing this report, the game had been suspended by match officials due to the players’ lack of accreditation tags. The atmosphere around the central basketball court remained tense, with spectators waiting anxiously for play to resume.