Negligence and Tragedy: The Untimely Death of Chineme Martins

A Nigerian club, the league, and the country's football federation have been found negligent in the death of Chineme Martins, a footballer who collapsed during a game in 2020. The court ruled they failed in their duty of care, and the club must compensate Martins' family.

A Nigerian club, the domestic league, and the country's football federation have been held accountable for the tragic death of football player Chineme Martins, who collapsed during a match in March 2020, as announced by the players' union FIFPRO on Thursday. Martins was a 23-year-old player for Nasarawa United when he passed away due to inadequate medical services at the game.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria declared that the club breached their duty of care towards Martins and ordered them to compensate his family. The court also found that the league, the NFF, and the match commissioner failed to ensure compliance with necessary regulations, contributing to the negligence.

A report by the NFF, cited by FIFPRO, revealed that there was no medical doctor or physiotherapist present at the game, and alarmingly, no functional ambulance was available when Martins collapsed. The court described it as 'reprehensible' that Martins participated in the game without complete medical examinations, including an echocardiogram, over three seasons with the club. FIFPRO provided legal support to Martins' family in their claim of negligence.

"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," said Martins' brother, Michael. Efforts to reach the NFF and the Nigeria Premier League for comment by Reuters were unsuccessful.

(With inputs from agencies.)