The Kwara State Sports Commission has dissolved all sports associations in the state with immediate effect.
This was contained in a statement issued in Ilorin on Thursday by the Press Secretary of the Commission, Saheed Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the decision followed the board’s resolution at its sitting on September 12, 2025, where members deliberated extensively on the activities of the associations before approving their dissolution.
The Commission explained that the move became necessary to inject new, committed, and passionate members into the associations, while also retaining some of the active former members for better service delivery.
It directed affected officials to immediately hand over documents, records, and materials belonging to the associations to their respective secretaries as part of the dissolution process.
“While appreciating the contributions of the outgoing members, the Commission urged them to continue supporting the development of sports in Kwara State and to respond promptly whenever called upon in future,” the statement added.
Recall that the Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Magaji, had promised to take necessary action against the state’s athletics officials responsible for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s suspension of the Kwara State Athletics Association.
Magaji disclosed this at a press conference in Ilorin, while also indicating that moves were in top gear to have the AFN review their stance on Kwara.
“We have the future of young outlets to think about, and officers responsible for the lapse resulting in the sanction will face the music,” he said.
AFN placed an indefinite ban on the Kwara association after it discovered the association was still engaging the banned coach Hammid Muritala in athletics activities.
Muritala is serving a 10-year ban from athletics after admitting to having fed a youth athlete with banned substances two years ago in Ilorin.
Rather than stay off athletics activities, the coach was part of the state’s contingent to Benin City, the Edo State capital, for the recent Golden League, to the consternation of stakeholders.
Explaining why the sports commission shouldn’t be blamed, Magaji said the banned coach had been on suspension since October 14, 2022, before they got the AFN’s ban notice in February.
The PUNCH
