A fresh power struggle has erupted at Enyimba, with police officers reportedly storming the club’s training ground and taking away some officials barely 48 hours before another crucial league fixture.
The dramatic development on Monday came amid growing tension over the leadership of the nine-time Nigeria Premier Football League champions, with a source close to the club alleging that there are renewed efforts to push chairman Nwankwo Kanu out.
The latest crisis followed Enyimba’s 1-0 home defeat to Inter Lagos on Sunday — their third consecutive loss at the start of the 2026/27 NPFL season.
Ezekiel Moses scored the decisive goal in the 18th minute, leaving Enyimba without a point from their opening three matches.
But rather than settle down after the defeat, tension reportedly escalated when the squad returned to training on Monday.
Enyimba Sporting Director, Daniel Eke, was said to have arrived at the training venue alongside officers of the Abia State Police Command’s Rapid Response Squad.
The officers reportedly took away the stadium manager and some members of his team, effectively bringing the training session to an end.
Videos from the scene showed players and officials appearing confused, while Kanu was seen leading the players towards the RRS office.
A stadium official said Kanu was about to address the players when the police arrived and arrested some officials. The official said the players subsequently left without training despite Wednesday’s league match against Sporting Lagos.
The incident is believed to have its roots in an earlier confrontation following Sunday’s defeat.
The Enyimba Fan, a platform covering the club, alleged that Eke had clashed with some stadium officials after the match before returning to the training ground with police officers the following day.
The latest confrontation has once again exposed the unresolved battle for control of Enyimba.
The power struggle dates back to last season when Eke was appointed sporting director by Abia State Government officials despite Kanu having appointed former Super Eagles defender Uche Okechukwu to the same role.
The dispute later extended to the technical bench.
While Kanu appointed Deji Ayeni as coach, Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu and then Sports Commissioner Nwaobilor Ananaba unveiled Cameroonian coach Emmanuel Deutsch.
Ayeni and Okechukwu subsequently stepped aside, with Deutsch and Eke assuming their respective positions.
Now, the latest confrontation has brought Kanu’s own position into focus.
A source close to the club alleged that the struggle is no longer simply about sporting appointments but has become a wider battle over Kanu’s continued control and influence at Enyimba.
Kanu was appointed chairman by Governor Alex Otti in 2023.
The source claimed that political interests around the club have been uncomfortable with Kanu’s perceived independence and alleged that pressure has been mounting to persuade the governor to withdraw his backing for the former Super Eagles captain.
The source further alleged that attempts to remove Kanu have intensified whenever the governor is away, although the claims have not been independently established.
The continuing crisis has also coincided with a difficult period for Enyimba on the pitch.
The club finished third in Kanu’s first season as chairman, sixth in the 2024/25 campaign and 11th last season.
Now, three matches into the new campaign, the Aba giants are rooted at the bottom without a point.
With Wednesday’s clash against Sporting Lagos approaching, Enyimba must now contend with both a fight for points and an increasingly bitter internal struggle over who controls the club.
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